Tree mortality

A new state report out this week finds conifer tree deaths – including iconic species like the Ponderosa and Pinyon pine – doubled in New Mexico’s forests last year.

Drought adds fuel to the Southwest’s massive wildfires by killing off swaths of forests. That’s been exacerbated over the last decade by bark beetles that attack and kill live trees. Now, a new study shows climate change is accelerating these processes, causing more trees to die faster.