16 – Dynamics of Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks

摘要: Insect disturbance, as suggested in this chapter, is important maintaining a diverse age structure for lodgepole pine. Left to its own devices, would develop into crowded and unhealthy forests of over-mature trees. Although the mountain pine beetle an aggressive tree killer, it native component natural ecosystems. The American West have coevolved ways that incorporate disturbance cycle forest growth regeneration. With disturbances such beetles, certain homeostasis can be maintained, at least on sufficiently large spatial scales. As model chapter illustrates, insect move self-limiting pace, balancing rate Like fire (with which reforestation associated), must viewed normal healthy part ecosystem function scale. This helps establish what scales, both time space, caused by beetles expected serve useful normative disturbance.