Impacts of beetle-induced forest mortality on carbon, water and nutrient cycling in the Rocky Mountains

摘要: Conifer forests across western North America are undergoing a widespread mortality event mediated by an epidemic outbreak of bark beetles the genus Dendroctonus and their associated bluestain fungi (Ophiostoma spp.). As late 2009, have impacted over 600,000 hectares in northern Colorado southern Wyoming (US Forest Service aerial survey estimates), with majority mature lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) Englemann spruce (Picea englemanii) expected to be dead 2012 (Figure 1; Figure 2). While native American forests, importance insect outbreaks on water, C N cycling has increased recent years as result past timber management, fire exclusion, warming trends drought (Allen et al. 2010).