Weather associated with the start of mountain pine beetle outbreaks

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Abstract
Extreme weather conditions associated with mountain pine beetle outbreaks were evaluated by graphical techniques for six locations throughout British Columbia. Three major associations of extreme weather patterns with lodgepole pine growth and mountain pine beetle outbreaks were identified. (i) Weather effects prior to, or early in, the growing season can reduce growth without releasing the beetle population. (ii) Weather conducive to beetle establishment and early brood development can occur too late in the season to have a noticeable effect on tree growth and therefore will not be recorded in the annual growth rings. (iii) Warm, dry periods during the summer are associated with tree growth reduction and the beginnings of outbreaks. In each of these three cases, extreme low precipitation levels were involved. Average precipitation in some months did not compensate for the effects of unfavourable extremes in other months on tree growth.

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