Beetle Outbreaks and Climate Change

American Museum of Natural History

This interactive shows the extent of the killing of lodgepole pine trees in western Canada. The spread of pine beetle throughout British Columbia has devastated the lodgepole pine forests there. This animation shows the spread of the beetle and the increasing numbers of trees affected from 1999-2008 and predicts the spread up until 2015.

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Notes from our reviewers

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Use when teaching about ecology and system response to changing abiotic factors. See [http://www.amnh.org/sciencebulletins/educators_guide/howuse.php] for suggested uses depending on amount of available time. Easy to relate to US - infestations of pine bark beetle are occurring in many areas of the Western US.
This animation shows the spread of the beetle and the increasing numbers of trees affected from 1999-2008 and predicts the spread up until 2015. Background information, references, and data sources are clearly given. Scientists in western Canada have been tracking the extent of the mountain pine beetle. This native insect kills weak and old lodgepole pine trees, thus promoting healthy growth of young forests. In times of drought, beetle populations can spike, spreading to healthy pine trees. Historically, cold winters kept beetle populations under control. A new study published in the journal Nature highlights how climate change is promoting pine beetle outbreaksâand how the outbreaks are contributing to climate change. Comments from expert scientist: This study provides the possible insect outbreaks and their feedback to the ecosystem and relates it to global warming and forest carbon dynamics. It is a very interesting article as it combines forest dynamics with climate change. The focus is mostly on temperature. Effect of precipitation, however, is not mentioned much, and the combined effect of decreasing precipitation during winter (less snow) and increasing temperature can increase effects of pine beetle and other invasive insects on trees.
Excellent tool that would be useful when teaching about the carbon cycle feedbacks, biological limiting factors, and ecological consequences of climate change. A how-to-use guide can be found at [http://www.amnh.org/sciencebulletins/educators_guide/howuse.php]. This resource provides lots of information on pine bark beetle in an interesting format. Educators may need to show where Western Canada is relative to the continental US.