Long-term history and synchrony of mountain pine beetle outbreaks in lodgepole pine forests

摘要

AimA subcontinental-scale outbreak of mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae) has affected millions of hectares of forest in the western USA and Canada over the past 15years. Little research has examined the long-term and broad-scale history of MPB outbreaks, which is necessary to provide a baseline for comparing current and future outbreak extents. We examine the long-term history of MPB outbreaks in western Colorado, and analyse the synchrony of previous outbreaks across western North America.