Fir trees are dying at a high rate in Canada’s Pacific Northwest with researchers sounding the alarm for more action to protect forests.
In the wake of severe droughts and heat waves that hit Canada and the United States in recent years, a researcher said that fir trees have died in record numbers. Compounding the climatic impact, bark beetles are taking a toll. …Suzanne Simard, professor of forestry and ecology at UBC… “Right now, under changing climatic conditions, bark beetles are really having a surge across Canada.” …The largest pine beetle epidemic happened in the 1990s and 2000s in B.C., according to the Ministry of Natural Resources Canada. …Simard said, if the tree is dead but “in good shape” the wood can be turned into timber and not wasted. This is called “salvage logging” but she said this solution can be overused.