Effects of bark beetle attacks on forest snowpack and avalanche formation – Implications for protection forest management

摘要: Abstract Healthy, dense forests growing in avalanche terrain reduce the likelihood of slab release by inhibiting formation continuous snow layers and weaknesses snowpack. Driven climate change, trends towards more frequent severe bark beetle disturbances have already resulted death millions hectares forest North America central Europe, affecting snowpack mountain potentially reducing their protective capacity against avalanches. We examined spatial variability stratigraphy, i.e., characteristic layering snowpack, repeatedly measuring vertical profiles penetration resistance with a digital micro penetrometer (SMP) along 10- 20-m transects spruce beetle-infested Engelmann Utah, USA. Three study plots were selected characterizing different stages within outbreak cycle: non-infested/green, infested > 3 years ago/gray stage, salvage-logged. A fourth plot was installed non-forested meadow as control. Based on our SMP measurements layer matching algorithm, we quantified tested which forest, and/or meteorological conditions influenced differences between using linear mixed effects models. Our results showed that stratigraphy best explained percentage canopy covering transect (R2 = 0.71, p