USFS - "Significant" Dieoff Of Junipers From Drought In Central And Northern AZ

[hatrack]

The US Forest Service has been investigating a significant die-off of juniper trees across much of central and northern Arizona. On the Prescott and Kaibab National Forests approximately 50,000 to 100,000 acres of junipers have been affected in the area between Paulden and Ash Fork along Highway 89 and I-40. Mortality has also been noted north of Williams along Highway 64.

The majority of affected trees are shaggy bark juniper species, including Utah juniper and one-seed juniper. Mortality is varied, with most areas showing die-off of 5-30% of trees, with some larger pockets of dead junipers ranging from 1 to 15 acres. In addition, forest officials have been noting mortality of individual and small patches of alligator juniper in the higher elevation upland areas surrounding the City of Prescott.

Current assessments by US Forest Service-Forest Health Protection office in Flagstaff suggest that the majority of this mortality is caused by the exceptional drought that this part of Arizona is experiencing. While there have been some scattered observations of insects on dead trees, Forest Health Protection believes that the initial cause of death is directly tied to water stress. Trees impacted by drought show a change in color of their needle-like scales, which typically starts at the branch tips and spreads down the tree, fading from green to a bright yellow.

EDIT

https://www.lakepowelllife.com/drought-causing-juniper-die-off-in-arizona/

[Bo Zarts]

1. It's severely dry when drought-tolerant species die from water stress.

Juniper snags (dead trees) ignite readily by lightning and stands of extremely dry or dead junipers and pinyon pine burn like gasoline. The areas north of I-40 and along US-89 in Arizona are some of the most beautiful places in the world, and the P-J (pinyon-juniper) forests are a prominent feature of the landscape.

May and June are the hot, dry season in those parts. Dry thunderstorms with abundant lightning will make for a busy fire season. We can only hope for an early, and very wet, monsoon in late July and August.

[asiliveandbreathe]

2. We had a terrible summer last year..so dry, many of the yucca plants died..

I am so hoping this year, will be different..we need rain - much discussion surrounding AZ drought, and water conservation..

For more on our Junipers...

https://www.thespruce.com/twelve-species-juniper-trees-and-shrubs-3269665

[Thunderbeast]

3. USFS is trying to thin or burn junipers in Oregon

On Steens Mountain, fire suppression has resulted in an un-natural abundance of junipers. Each tree sucks a huge volume of water from the ecosystem. The junipers are consuming water that normally would flow down the Blitzen River into the Malheur Wildlife Refuge (made famous by Idiot Ammon Bundy and his RWNJ gang).

Several strategies have been tested to reduce the number of trees. Controlled burns seem to be the preferred method.