Rising temperatures and lack of rain are causes hundreds of thousands of trees to die in the Rocky Mountains forests. Global warming has boosted existing stresses that will eventually cause a dramatic reduction in the number of tree species. The main causes for the mass tree casualties include bark beetle infestation and higher wildfire risk. The mortality rate of trees has doubled in old-growth, with no compensating increase in the number of seedlings.
Increasing temperatures are reducing the amount of water available for the trees to flourish. Earlier snowmelt and snowpack reduction produce enough water for the beginning of the growing season, but by the end of the season, there is a shortage. Drier Conditions make the soil unable to sustain the tree life growing within. Poor soil quality makes it hard for the seedlings to grow, so the tree population does not expand easily. By 2060, the soil is projected to be climatically unsuitable. Lack of rain also causes better conditions for a wildfire. The percentage of wildfires has exploded to 73% more frequently, which translates to 18 more every year. As the temperature increases, conditions become drier causing more trees to suffer each year.
Bark Beetles are one of the biggest killers. Warming temperatures cause the beetles to reproduce more within the population. The beetles burrow into the trees and eventually kill them. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that around 100,000 trees die every day in southern Wyoming and northern Colorado alone because of bark beetle infestation. In order for this number to decrease, the population of beetles needs to stop growing.
If the global temperature continues to rise and the conditions continue to become drier, the population of trees in the Rocky Mountain forests will soon diminish.
Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/climatechange.htm
Photos:
https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/mtn_pine_beetle_background.htm
http://ens-newswire.com/2014/09/10/rocky-mountain-forests-vanishing-as-planet-heats-up/
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