Climate, Caterpillars, and Canopies: Unraveling Tongass Forest's Battle with Budworms
In the wake of a major blackheaded budworm infestation, countless acres of the expansive Tongass National Forest were stripped of their greenery, leaving a barren, defoliated landscape in their wake.
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This wasn't an isolated event. Rather, it was the follow-up punch to the forest's health after the stress caused by the hemlock sawfly in 2018 and 2019.
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Thinned canopies can alter the forest microclimate, potentially affecting stream temperatures and the winter cover for local fauna.
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Beneath the ghostly, stripped trees, new life is waiting.
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The understory trees, previously overshadowed by the dominant hemlocks, now have a chance to take over and utilize this golden opportunity.
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One theory points to an unexpected perpetrator: climate change.
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Warmer temperatures in British Columbia could be limiting the budworms' range, leaving Southeast Alaska as a haven for the budworm population.
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Even amidst the devastation, signs of recovery are already evident.
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