nrdc_media posted a photo:
These are important food sources for wildlife throughout the Greater Yellowstone Wilderness. The big pine seeds are very high in protein and are a favorite food for female grizzly bears as they fatten up for the winter hibernation.
nrdc_media posted a photo:
nrdc_media posted a photo:
Dr. Jesse Logan is a beetle expert joining the tour. He was visibly concerned by the devastation he was witnessing. In this case, the bark he removed was full of galleries: long chambers where the invading beetles lay eggs and raise their pupaes.
nrdc_media posted a photo:
Close up of a beetle-infested tree. The red stuff in the branch is called frass. It is basically sawdust from the insects burrowing in---and when it is that visible, the tree is a goner. Also note all the red dots---those are all beetle entry points. This tree is dead.
nrdc_media posted a photo:
