13th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The legacy of climate change

Fall Creek, Mineral County, Colorado, crosses Forest Road 39 at about 10,200' elevation. Sadly, this image speaks volumes about the devastation of our pine forests by the mountain pine beetle. The effects in Colorado are clear in this photograph; there are dozens of dead trees and stumps in this one frame. The proliferation of beetles is a consequence of global warming.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2014
Date Uploaded: 11.2015
Photo Location: Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States of America
Camera: SLT-A77V
Copyright: © Jeff Wolkove