https://www.usa.gov/copyrighted-government-workshttps://www.rawpixel.com/image/4043968Edit ImageSaveSaveEditCropCustom Text Make it Yours.Edit, remix and personalize with your own textCustomizeOr start from these designsMountain Pine Beetle Damage — Mountain pine beetle have been a natural part of the whitebark pine forest for many, many years. Their population size (and thus the severity of their damage) was naturally controlled by extremely cold winter temperatures. But recently, winter temperatures have not been cold enough to kill the beetles and their populations have increased. Whitebark pines also used to be healthy and vigorous trees because of ample precipitation and moderate summer temperatures.However, a changing climate has physiologically stressed the trees, making them susceptible to beetle infestations. This on-two punch makes it difficult for the trees to defend themselves. At USGS, researchers are monitoring the health of productivity of these forests to determine the importance and impact of changes in pine nut production on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Photo credit: Don Becker, USGS. Original public domain image from FlickrMorePublic DomainFree CCO U.S. Government image for Personal and Business useInfoView CC0 LicenseJPEGBanner JPEG 1200 x 803 px | 300 dpiLarge JPEG 3500 x 2343 px | 300 dpiBest Quality JPEG 3872 x 2592 px | 300 dpiEdit ImageMonthlyYearlySave 50%Get PremiumProfessional design resources and creative toolsfromfrom$6.50/mo$78 billed yearlyUnlimited downloadsAd-free experienceUnlock millions of creative assets and our entire Creative Studio of editable templates, mockups and design toolsBuy Now