ABSTRACT 



Populations of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus 

 ponderosae Hopkins, were sampled by both radiographic 

 and bark-removal methods in standing lodgepole pine, 

 Pinus contorta Douglas. Estimates of live beetle numbers 

 based on the two methods were comparable. However, the 

 radiographic method is not recommended for field sampling 

 because it is more costly and the causes of beetle mortality 

 usually cannot be determined. In addition, beetle popula- 

 tions in areas radiographed were adversely affected, prob- 

 ably because of dr3d.ng of wood and bark, which resulted in 

 erroneous estimates of brood survival and distorted sex 

 ratios. 



