This made them more susceptible to pine beetle infestations. The third factor was the mild winter, which contributed to the buildup in pine beetle populations, Clatterbuck said. Overwintering beetles die when temperatures stay below freezing for five to seven consecutive days or when nighttime temperatures are below 5 F and daytime temperatures don't reach freezing. Prices for pine timber also fall during pine beetle epidemics. For one thing, it's farther out.
Traffic is heavier.
There's not as much pristine farmland. Subdivisions have sprung up out of nowhere. It looks, well, similar to where you just came from. Tennessee joins the rest of the nation in tackling the issue of urban sprawl. In the past year, urban sprawl, or related topics, have graced the covers of numerous national, regional and local publications.