[dragonsky67]

Is the increase in beetle kill related to the suppression/reduction in small scale cooler fires? Would be interesting to understand.

In Australia it is only now becoming widely understood that stopping of the indigenous peoples burning of the bush has lead to an increase not only of large destructive bushfires but also a changing of the nature of the plants growing in an area. We are seeing more weeds and certainly more fire prone species which is leading in turn to an increase in the flammable fuel load. With the widespread 2020 bushfires causing so much destruction there has been an increase in appetite for looking at other options for land management, including trying to tap the fading knowledge of the indigenous elders on there traditional practice.

[micro_cam]

Biggest factor with beetle kill spreading north is the lack of hard freezes in early fall.

Denser forests are more prone to it though, they'll thin impacted forest to try and keep as many trees as they can.