How fast will the beetle-killed trees decay and break apart?
The deterioration rate of bark beetle-killed trees is probably not significantly different than the rate of lightning or fire-killed trees, however, the USFS Region 3 Forest Pathology team is initiating research in response to the widespread mortality seen in 2002. The available research indicates that no matter how a tree died, it is the species, size, and location that determines the rate of deterioration. For ponderosa pine trees in the 10-12 inch DBH (diameter breast height) range, a few trees start to fall down after the 2nd year, but the majority come down in the 4th and 5th years. For trees greater than 18 inches DBH, the tops usually break off before the entire tree falls. Although bark beetles carry blue-stain fungi, these fungi do not breakdown wood, they invade the cells but cause no change in wood structure. The other fungi they carry do cause decay in the outer sapwood, but the major wood decay organisms come in following tree death no matter how the tree died, and are typ
