Beetles Bring Devastation And Extreme Fire Danger to Southern California Forests
IDYLLWILD, CA – JULY 23: A ponderosa pine measuring 96 inches in diameter survived the droughts of five centuries but fell victim to the latest drought and the onslaught of bark beetles, on July 23, 2003 near Idyllwild, California. Southern California’s native pines are being wiped-out by exploding populations of several species of bark beetles, a result of four years of the worst recorded drought since records began in 1849. Infected forests are expected to lose at least 75-95 percent of their trees creating unprecedented wildfire danger in the “ghost forests” of dead trees. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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