A researcher examines General Sherman, the world's largest tree, in Sequoia National Park, Calif. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The research team inspected the 275-foot tree for evidence of bark beetles, an emerging threat to giant sequoias. – High in the evergreen canopy of General Sherman, the world’s largest tree, researchers searched for evidence of an emerging threat to giant sequoias: bark beetles.
But as the climate grows hotter and drier, giant sequoias previously thought to be almost indestructible are increasingly threatened by extreme heat, drought and wildfires. But researchers are growing more worried about bark beetles, which didn’t pose a serious threat in the past. The beetles attack the trees from the canopy, boring into branches and working their way down the trunk. If left unchecked, the tiny beetles can kill a tree within six months.
Tuesday’s health inspection of General Sherman was organized by the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, a group of government agencies, Native tribes and environmental groups. They hope to establish a health monitoring program for the towering trees.
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