Previously published studies reported a wide variety of -- and often contradictory -- conclusions about the bark beetles' effect on fuels and wildfire. A team of researchers from the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research and Pacific Northwest Research stations and the University of Idaho set out to identify key knowledge gaps by developing a conceptual model based on the review of 39 previously published studies. The scientists used the model to describe expected changes of fuels and fire behavior following bark beetle outbreaks.
Key findings, which appeared in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, include:
- Bark beetle outbreaks can indeed affect fuels and fire behavior;
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