Spruce Beetle in Denali

Large numbers of the native spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) are causing notable spruce mortality at Denali National Park and Preserve. Spruce beetle occasionally causes major mortality in spruce forests across Alaska, but the Denali area has not experienced a significant outbreak in recent times.

Click on the illustrations below to explore the effects of spruce beetle and insights into how the forest may respond.