Beetle Infested or Thirsty Trees in Roundup?

[509]

It does not appear to be beetle kill, but that stand is well on its way as thick as it is. You will have to do some serious thinning for fire in any case.

I believe the fire in 2012 did jump the road in that area. But I only drove through and did not pay attention to fire lines.

The other comments I also agree with.....except for the one bout beetle kill.

[Reziac]

"Way too thick" is the problem.

Beetles don't infest healthy trees, because healthy trees have a lot of sap, which discourages the beetles. Trees only have enough sap if they get enough water. Too many trees too close together all wind up thirsty, and THAT is when the beetles get to them. A healthy forest is scattered trees, not dense masses of trees.

Forests evolved to be burned regularly. If fire suppression is in place, then the forest needs to be logged. It doesn't matter which you do, the trees need to be thinned one way or another, and the underbrush that fire would normally scour out needs to be thinned as well.