"Rusty" Trees!
The tree to the right is a
subalpine fir. They are
valuable to people,
wildlife, plants and soil.
This fir (and many others
along the trail) has a
fungus called rust living
on it. The rust depends on
the tree for life.
FOOTNOTE Answer: the forest is always changing. The root rot
that is killing many of the trees is related to draught conditions that existed
in this area recently (and will likely exist again). The root rot passes from
tree to tree by way of their root systems.
The malformations on the
trees are caused by the
rust and are often called
"Witches Broom." They
are the tree's reaction to
the fungus.
