732 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



at this time. The same thing has recently been found to exist in the 

 case of dying western white pine in Idaho and Montana, and in 

 California a bark beetle and a fungus are instru mental in the wide- 

 spread death of Monterey cypress planted for windbreaks, while 

 throughout the Sierras another bark beetle and fungus are causing 

 wholesale destruction of firs. These examples merely emphasize 

 the complexity of the whole problem of forest research and the need 

 of intensive and thoroughly coordinated investigational effort. 



CONCLUSION 



This brief general picture is intended to illustrate the more impor- 

 tant activities of insects in our forests, the development of control 

 methods and preventive silvicultural practices, as well as the depend- 

 ence on research for continued improvements. 



More adequate protection of Government-owned timberlands is 

 desirable: (1) to reduce the losses in merchantable timber; (2) to 

 insure protection of areas of scenic value; (3) under certain cir- 

 cumstances to curtail the development of a fire menace; and (4) to 

 provide better insurance for timber-growing enterprises. 



It might be said that fair progress has been made in the past 20 

 years in the field of forest entomology. For the most part the pre- 

 liminary work having to do with the discovery, identification, and 

 classification of the important forest insects has been completed. 

 In fact, for many of the important species the life histories and habits 

 have been pretty well worked out as well. However, there is need 

 for a great deal more study into the fundamentals of insect ecology 

 and physiology. We must know more of the interaction of the 

 insects, the tree and the forest, and man's activities in the forest. 

 It is altogether possible that such studies may lead to the prediction 

 of outbreaks and consequent better control or prevention far beyond 

 any possibilities we can see at present. 



