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Changing Climate Blamed for Massive Decline of Aspens

from the Boston Globe (Registration Required)

PAONIA, Colo. -- From the hillsides of extinct volcanoes in Arizona to the jagged peaks of Idaho, aspen trees are falling by the tens of thousands, the latest example of how climate change is dramatically altering the American West.

Starting seven years ago, foresters noticed massive aspen losses caused by parasitical insects, one of which is so rare it is hardly even written about in the scientific literature.

But with warming temperatures and the aftereffects of a brutal drought lingering, the parasites are flourishing at the expense of the tree, beloved for its skinny branches and heart-shaped leaves that turn a brilliant yellow in autumn.