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<br />liThe workshop group bel ieves the normal insect and di sease <br />monitoring will serve little purpose, since so many factors <br />other than precipitation augmentation can influence the <br />success of disease and insect attacks. Therefore, the most <br />effective monitoring and research program would be one that <br />concentrates on determining: (1) the success of the augmen- <br />tation, (2) the effect upon snowpacks under various environ- <br />mental complexes, and (3) the effects of different climatic <br />influences upon insect and disease incidence. <br /> <br />IIItem 3 is a research recommendation that goes beyond the <br />impact of weather modification. It involves the basic <br />impact of all forms of climatic influence upon forest <br />diseases and insects. This encompasses microclimatic <br />influences which occur as a result of forest fires, the <br />creation of openings in forest stands due to natural causes, <br />forest harvest operations, grazing by wildlife and domestic <br />stock, and any other change to the climatic and cover <br />conditions existing at any point in time and space. II [15, <br />pp. I-31 to I-34] <br /> <br />The Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project Environmental Assessment states: <br /> <br />IIWith regard to precipitat ion, it is generally bel ieved that <br />the average annual rainfall is the basis for the species <br />composition of an area; and that it is the end of the curve <br />(the drought or below-average situation) that determines <br />whether a given species will continue in an area. Shifts in <br /> <br />28 <br />