Forest health in Arizona: Stressed by drought and pests, trees are losing resilience to changing climate

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The electric blue sky frames a stand of ponderosa pines – their ramrod trunks picket the forest floor as sunlight floods the ground. A breeze tickles the green needles, mingling dust with the heady scent of pine. At first, it’s easy to mistake the sound of branches in the wind for a…