Colorado's Aspens Dying Off
by wiccania.
The golden aspens, that draw so many visitors to Colorado every Autumn to witness their colorful changes, are dying off. Instead of their colorful Autumn splendor, some places only have rows of dead, lifeless trees.
Researchers suspect that severe drought weakened the root systems, making them susceptible to infections and infestations that are killing not just the trees, but the root systems as well.
According to
MyFoxColorado.com, the US Forest Service says that the problem is effecting trees in the "
San Juan, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests."
Biologists call the phenomenon Sudden Aspen Decline -- or SAD. While it's normal for some aspen trees to die, SAD is a big concern because it's killing the trees' root systems. That makes it difficult for the forest to regenerate.
The bark beetle epidemic, which is killing lodgepole pines, is also being blamed on drought conditions.
I've been hearing about the aspens here since I moved to Colorado in 2001. Unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to go see them in any season. Maybe I should find the time this year.
Colorado's Aspens Dying Off
Email
Print
Share
del.icio.us
facebook
newsvine
reddit
stumbleupon
technorati