Dead and dying trees are a common sight throughout the high country in this area.

These trees are Englemann Spruce, Picea engelmanni. Spruces like higher elevations and cool, moist sites. They also like shade and will often grow in the shade of another species eventually taking over the site as seen here. The green trees in this photo are aspen that originally provided the shade that spruces like.

These spruces are suffering from an infestation of spruce beetle (Dendroctonus furipennis).Spruce beetles have always been present in forests, usually inhabiting a small percentage of dying or dead trees. Most trees can usually defend themselves against this insect. However; prolonged drought, old age, or injury can weaken a tree's defensive ability allowing beetle infestation to rise to epidemic proportions.

Spruce beetle is a type of beetle known as a bark beetle. They spend most of their lives as larvae tunneling beneath the bark of a tree. This creates a girdling effect which interrupts the flow of nutrients throughout the tree. spruce beetles are specific to spruce trees.

spruce beetle larvae