Yellowstone Ecosystem Report
A Conceptual and Mechanistic Approach to Understanding Interactions Among Multiple Disturbance Agents: Compound Effects of Fire on Resource Availabilty to Bark Beetles
Abstract
Population eruptions by native bark beetles are intermittent and can cause wide spread forest disturbance. The mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, is one such bark beetle currently affecting all species of pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). MPB populations erupt after generating positive feedback once thresholds are surpassed. Population eruptions require a combination of factors such as favorable weather, tree susceptibility, and the reduced competitors and predators.