Beetles fuel the fire

California drought makes an ideal living situation for bark beetles. These insects infestations dry out the trees further and create forests that can light up easily. The fire damage more trees and attract more beetles. The dry out trees combined with low humidity and parched vegetation create a dangerous combination for fire to start. Although bark beetles are normal in California, their activity is typically limited and goes unnoticed until forest fire happens. Trees’ natural defense against the tiny brown insects is their sticky resin. Experts say that water in properly hydrated trees pushes resin out of the tree’s surface, deflecting beetles that don’t want to get caught in it. A dried up tree, however, can’t produce additional resin to protect it from beetles. In the San Bernardino forest, bark beetle infestations were considered a factor in deadly fires in 2003.

source:
Karlamangla, Soumya. “Meet the insect that helped fuel Northern California's Valley fire destruction.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sept. 2015, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bark-beetles-valley-fire-20150914-story.html.

Posted on December 10, 2017 05:49 AM by kt_n