Summer Climate and Western Spruce Budworm Outbreaks in the Pacific Northwest

Western spruce budworm outbreaks occur yearly with devastating effects for forests across Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. However, as of yet, the relationship between these outbreaks and summer climate is poorly understood. In this study, I compared western spruce budworm outbreak records from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia with June-August temperature and precipitation records between 1975 and 1995. This research reveals interesting patterns in the correlation between drought conditions and western spruce budworm outbreaks. My results necessitate further study examining the potentially significant relationship between summer drought conditions and western spruce budworm outbreaks