Fake Flakes Harming Forests?

August 25, 2005

Artificial snow enables ski resorts to accommodate the Thanksgiving ski crowd and host winter sporting events regardless of Mother Nature's whims. But could the fake flakes be harming mountain vegetation? USU researchers suspect a widely used commercial snow inducer is harming fungi on which trees and other plants depend for growth and survival.

For more information, contact graduate student Camille Swasey, 435-792-3014, and Jon Takemoto, professor and department head, Biology Department, Utah State University, 435-797-1909.

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