So is it really that these trees are just dieing of old age? (The beatles only can thrive in weak trees?)
Yes. The beatles start in old and weak trees, and are able to kill them first. Then the population increases to the point that the beatles reach epidemic numbers. Couple an epidemic with a drought and the fact that the majority of the States trees are old, and one gets a situation that is happening in Colorado.
54 posted on 08/29/2007 9:13:19 PM PDT by forester
(An economy that is overburdened by government eventually results in collapse)