Sad news for aspens

On our trip to northern Arizona, we were looking for the changing of the colors, particularly in the aspen trees. But SWMBO said it looked like the older trees were dying, or at least sick. The leaves seemed gray and many of the trees were leafless.

I mentioned this to a friend when we returned home and he said he had heard something was killing the aspens. Investigating, I found an article that said the death rate of aspens in some forests near Flagstaff has neared 95% and fewer appear to be regrowing. The high death rate has mystified scientists, the article continued, though the list of suspected causes includes drought, disease, insect infestation, wildfire suppression and the grazing habits of elk. Couple that with the bark beetle infestation that is threatening the Ponderosa pines and you have a grim picture of the future.