Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy?
While the use of timber harvests is generally accepted as an effective approach to controlling bark beetles during outbreaks, in reality there has been a dearth of monitoring to assess outcomes, and failures are often not reported. Additionally, few studies have focused on how these treatments affec...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/5/1/103 |
| _version_ | 1811261049650806784 |
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| author | Diana L. Six Eric Biber Elisabeth Long |
| author_facet | Diana L. Six Eric Biber Elisabeth Long |
| author_sort | Diana L. Six |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While the use of timber harvests is generally accepted as an effective approach to controlling bark beetles during outbreaks, in reality there has been a dearth of monitoring to assess outcomes, and failures are often not reported. Additionally, few studies have focused on how these treatments affect forest structure and function over the long term, or our forests’ ability to adapt to climate change. Despite this, there is a widespread belief in the policy arena that timber harvesting is an effective and necessary tool to address beetle infestations. That belief has led to numerous proposals for, and enactment of, significant changes in federal environmental laws to encourage more timber harvests for beetle control. In this review, we use mountain pine beetle as an exemplar to critically evaluate the state of science behind the use of timber harvest treatments for bark beetle suppression during outbreaks. It is our hope that this review will stimulate research to fill important gaps and to help guide the development of policy and management firmly based in science, and thus, more likely to aid in forest conservation, reduce financial waste, and bolster public trust in public agency decision-making and practice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:57:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8277751dbd1d4c239ba85f72af638107 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:57:48Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-8277751dbd1d4c239ba85f72af6381072022-12-22T03:20:17ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072014-01-015110313310.3390/f5010103f5010103Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy?Diana L. Six0Eric Biber1Elisabeth Long2Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59804, USASchool of Law, University of California, Berkeley, CA 97420-7200, USASchool of Law, University of California, Berkeley, CA 97420-7200, USAWhile the use of timber harvests is generally accepted as an effective approach to controlling bark beetles during outbreaks, in reality there has been a dearth of monitoring to assess outcomes, and failures are often not reported. Additionally, few studies have focused on how these treatments affect forest structure and function over the long term, or our forests’ ability to adapt to climate change. Despite this, there is a widespread belief in the policy arena that timber harvesting is an effective and necessary tool to address beetle infestations. That belief has led to numerous proposals for, and enactment of, significant changes in federal environmental laws to encourage more timber harvests for beetle control. In this review, we use mountain pine beetle as an exemplar to critically evaluate the state of science behind the use of timber harvest treatments for bark beetle suppression during outbreaks. It is our hope that this review will stimulate research to fill important gaps and to help guide the development of policy and management firmly based in science, and thus, more likely to aid in forest conservation, reduce financial waste, and bolster public trust in public agency decision-making and practice.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/5/1/103bark beetleclearcutclimate changeclimate change adaptationdaylightingDendroctonus ponderosaeforest pest managementmonitoringsanitationthinning |
| spellingShingle | Diana L. Six Eric Biber Elisabeth Long Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy? Forests bark beetle clearcut climate change climate change adaptation daylighting Dendroctonus ponderosae forest pest management monitoring sanitation thinning |
| title | Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy? |
| title_full | Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy? |
| title_fullStr | Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy? |
| title_short | Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy? |
| title_sort | management for mountain pine beetle outbreak suppression does relevant science support current policy |
| topic | bark beetle clearcut climate change climate change adaptation daylighting Dendroctonus ponderosae forest pest management monitoring sanitation thinning |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/5/1/103 |
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