New Mexico sees alarming rise in tree die-off due to warm weather and insects
By Alyssa Munoz
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NEW MEXICO (KOAT) — New Mexico’s Forestry Division is concerned after thousands of trees died last year due to warm temperatures, drought conditions, and native insects.
Victor Lucero, the forest health program coordinator, said in 2024, about 67,000 acres of trees died. Last year, that jumped to about 209,000 acres. Most of the damage is south of I-40, including parts of the Lincoln National Forest near Ruidoso and areas west of Socorro in the Gila National Forest.
The main culprit is native bark beetles. Lucero explained that when it’s warm and dry, trees get stressed and weakened, giving off chemicals that attract the beetles. Once the beetles get under the bark, they tunnel in, cut off the tree’s ability to move water and nutrients, and bring in fungi, leading to the tree’s death over time.
Lucero also highlighted the broader implications, saying, “Not only, you know, are the trees killed by insects, but then it poses, you know, the potential for wildfire activity to be increased because now we have more fuel on the ground as a result of these die-offs.”
Lucero said one way they can help is by reducing the number of trees throughout the landscape through prescribed thinning.
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