Effect On Water Resources
Hydrologists from the University of Colorado have investigated the impacts of beetle-infested forests on the water cycle, specifically, snow accumulation and melt. They concluded that dead forests will accumulate more snowpack as a result of thinner tree canopies and decreased snow sublimation. These thinned canopies also cause faster snow melt by allowing more sunlight through to the forest floor and lowering the snowpack albedo, as a result of needle litter on the snow surface. Augmented snowpack coupled with dead trees that no longer transpire will likely lead to more available water.
Read more about this topic: Mountain Pine Beetle
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