Pine forests depend on fire for their survival.
Most of Colorado’s lodgepole pine forests developed following hot, stand-replacing crown fires (CSFS 2008)1. Lodgepole pine is intolerant to shade and thrives in the aftermath of fire; many lodgepole produce serotinous cones, which open in response to extreme heat and release an abundance of seeds. These long-lived cones may remain viable for decades, waiting for a fire to release their seeds. The prolific regeneration that naturally occurs in the open, sunny areas left in the fire’s wake often results in dense stands of 20,000 or more trees per acre.
Lodgepole Pine Forests – Colorado State Forest Service – Colorado State University
Large scale mountain pine beetle outbreaks have occurred often in the past. However, widespread burning in the late 19th century and fire suppression in the 20th century may have created larger stands of similar age, which are now of an age when susceptibility to bark beetle is high
Pine bark beetles are also a necessary part of forest health. Older forests are not as healthy as younger forests and do not support as much biodiversity.