Watching pine beetles in the Wasatch

This image shows forest change anomalies on the north slope of the Wasatch Range of Utah on September 13, 2011 compared to the prior year. The high elevation zone above treeline is shown as an uncolored area under the words “Wasatch Range”. Most of the region’s forest is blue, meaning it is similar to that of 2010. Just below treeline, the Range’s slopes show a moderate to extreme departure in greenness. In recent years, the north slope in particular, has experienced repeated outbreaks of the Mountain Pine Beetle according to aerial surveys, but these were usually at a lower elevation. These affected forests are dominated by lodgepole pine.