Nevada 

Forest Health Monitoring Highlights 2004 

The Resource

Healthy wildland and urban forests provide multiple 

benefits for Nevada's diverse population. Although 

little of Nevada's 12.5 million acres of forestland 

produces commercial timber, it does provide other 

wood products, watershed protection, wildlife habitat 

and recreation opportunities. Together with the urban 

forests in the state's communities, Nevada's forests are a 

critical resource in this sparsely forested state. 

The majority of the forested lands are publicly owned 

(98 %), with 261,200 acres of woodland in private 

ownership. From a statewide perspective, the majority 

(92%) of Nevada's forests are composed of pinyon 

and/or juniper species. Other forest types are restricted 

to the higher elevations in the state's 314 mountain 

ranges. The following chart displays the percentages of 

forest and woodland type in Nevada: 

Nevada Forest Types

Pinyon-Juniper

Ponderosa pine

Fir/Spruce/Hemlock

Lodgepole pine

Other softwoods

Nonstocked

Aspen/birch

W. oaks

Other hardwoods
Components of Change 

Nevada's forests are host to several common pests which plague Western forests. Widespread 

stress to the trees - brought on by drought conditions - weaken individual trees creating favorable 

conditions for the pests. Average annual net growth of all live trees on forested lands for the past 

15 years has averaged 855 thousand cubic feet per year. The low figure is due to the average 

annual mortality during that same time of 62,675 thousand cubic feet per year. 

Mortality and Net Growth

-20000

-15000

-10000

-5000

0

5000

Douglas-fir

Ponderosa pine

True fir

W. white pine

Lodgepole pine

Other softwoods

Cottonwood/Aspen

Forest Types

CCF

Mortality

Net Growth

Forest Health Issues

The effects of continued drought since 1998 has resulted in increased insect activity. Tree 

mortality has increased in Jeffrey pine, true fir and pinyon woodlands. The most noticable 

increase in tree mortality occurred in the pinyon pine forest type. In 2004, 4.38 million pinyon 

pine trees over 738,047 acres had been killed by the pinyon ips beetle. 

NV Annual Pinyon Mortality by Pinyon Ips 2002 -2004

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

4,500,000

5,000,000

2002 2003 2004

Year

Number of Trees Killed

Number of Pinyon Trees Killed

Annually
Prolonged drought conditions and an increase in fir engraver populations has increased the 

amount of fir mortality in the Lake Tahoe Basin, southern and eastern Nevada in developed areas 

on private land. Aerial survey data indicates fir mortality increased significantly from 18,891 

trees in 2003 to 278,035 trees in 2004. Aerial survey maps are available for review by 

contacting the Forest Health Protection or Nevada Division of Forestry office listed at the bottom 

of this page. 

NV Fir Tree Mortality by Fir Engraver Beetle 2002-2004

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2002 2003 2004

Year

Number of Trees

Fir Tree Mortality

For more information contact: 

 

Forest Health Protection 

Ogden Field Office 

USDA-Forest Service 

4746 S. 1900 E. 

Ogden, UT 84403 

Interior West Forest 

Inventory & Analysis

USDA Forest Service 

507 25th St 

Ogden, UT 84401 

Nevada Division of Forestry

2525 S. Carson St. 

Carson City, NV 89704