Sept. 24, 2008 -- The current scourge of the Rocky Mountain region -- the mountain pine beetle -- has been decimating lodgepole pine populations, leaving millions of acres of dead trees in its wake throughout western North America. Now, researchers are predicting that on top of disrupting the timber industry and crafting the depressing vistas of dead trees that now welcome tourists, the infestation may alter the weather and affect the region's air quality. "With this unprecedented bark beetle outbreak, there really is the potential for large-scale changes to the forest with respect to weather and air quality," said Alex Guenther, the leader of ongoing research at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. "Modeling shows that the extent of the outbreak already is enough to change the temperature," he said, by perhaps two to four degrees Fahrenheit over the short term. The researchers will improve their initial modeling efforts with laboratory studies, outdoor data-collection stations on the ground, and aircraft measurements. They plan to monitor local weather, moisture, organic compounds and particles in the air, carbon exchange between the land and the air, and more. Related Content: Project Earth Discovery News blog: Earth Matters Pine Beetles Ravage Forests, Spew CO2 Removing the forest will change the amount of sunlight that reaches the ground and the degree of cooling provided by the plants' release of water. The trees also give off small particles, like pollen, and volatile organic compounds that can react in the atmosphere to form additional small particles and the pollutant ozone. The particles can provide sites for water vapor to stick, forming clouds. In addition to affecting the weather, elevated concentrations of small particles can also increase incidence of respiratory and heart problems. |
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