Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine forests are currently experiencing rapid and extensive overstory mortality due to the mountain pine beetle. The perceived increase in wildfire risk has prompted forest managers to reduce fuel loads in many beetle-killed forests by salvage logging dead and dying trees, but the effects of these treatments on critical ecosystem properties are largely unknown. In this talk, I will share results of multiple ongoing research studies that are examining the effects of mountain pine beetle, and subsequent salvage treatments, on ecosystem properties such as residual overstory forest structure, understory tree regeneration and growth, fuel profiles, soil resources, and understory herbs and shrubs.