Douglas-fir Tussock Moth East of Pikes Peak, CO

ForWarn recognized a decline in vegetation greenness east of Pikes Peak and west of Colorado Springs, Colorado on July 31, 2015. The mixed conifer forest of this area is showing only a portion of the canopy species being affected, most substantially the Douglas fir. The Douglas-fir tussock moth is a likely candidate for the defoliation of firs in the area. At higher elevations, western spruce budworm affecting lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, and mixed conifers at 9000 ft. There is variance among years in vegetation decline which may be attributed to climate-driven shifts is seasonality more so than insects.