Summary
The purpose of this study was to determine the initial rate of decay and deterioration of pine killed by mountain pine beetle, in order to make comparisons with longer-term studies in BC. The trends indicated in the first two years post-mortality for trees sampled in Alberta are similar to that observed in BC except that the Alberta trees appeared to dry down faster and develop more checks within the first two years post-mortality. This is particularly true for the Mixedwood region; trees from the Foothill region are slower to develop checks and the checks are not as deep, at least for the first few years following death.
