Science Source
Climate Change and Bark Beetles of the Western United States and Canada: Direct and Indirect Effects
- States that climatic changes are predicted to significantly affect the frequency and severity of disturbances that shape forest ecosystems
- Provides a synthesis of climate change effects on native bark beetles, important mortality agents of conifers in western North America
- States that because of differences in temperature-dependent life-history strategies, including cold-induced mortality and developmental timing, responses to warming will differ among and within bark beetle species
- States that the success of bark beetle populations will also be influenced indirectly by the effects of climate on community associates and host-tree vigor, although little information is available to quantify these relationships
- Uses available population models and climate forecasts to explore the responses of two eruptive bark beetle species
- Predicts increases in thermal regimes conducive to population success for Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby) and Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, although there is considerable spatial and temporal variability
- These predictions from population models suggest a movement of temperature suitability to higher latitudes and elevations and identify regions with a high potential for bark beetle outbreaks and associated tree mortality in the coming century
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