Alaska cedar is declining and experiencing elevated mortality in large areas. Alaska cedar decline has been attributed to earlier snowmelt, which exposes roots to damage from lower temperatures. Projected future warming is expected to cause additional mortality from freezing-induced root damage, because more snow will be delivered as rain and winter snowpacks will be thinner and more variable. Additionally, warmer winters may allow pests and diseases to expand into previously unavailable territory in Alaska. Large areas of aspen and willow have been affected by large outbreaks of different pests in recent years. Massive outbreaks of the spruce beetle occurred on and near the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, which were unprecedented in scale and severity.