Mountain pine beetle and forest carbon feedback to climate change

@article{Kurz2008MountainPB,
  title={Mountain pine beetle and forest carbon feedback to climate change},
  author={Werner A. Kurz and Caren C. Dymond and G. Stinson and G. J. Rampley and Eric T. Neilson and Allan L. Carroll and Tim Ebata and Les Safranyik},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2008},
  volume={452},
  pages={987-990}
}
The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is a native insect of the pine forests of western North America, and its populations periodically erupt into large-scale outbreaks. During outbreaks, the resulting widespread tree mortality reduces forest carbon uptake and increases future emissions from the decay of killed trees. The impacts of insects on forest carbon dynamics, however, are generally ignored in large-scale modelling analyses. The… Expand
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Aftermath of Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak in British Columbia: Stand Dynamics, Management Response and Ecosystem Resilience
The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) (MPB) has infested and killed millions of hectares of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm) forests in British Columbia,… Expand
Monitoring the impacts of mountain pine beetle mitigation
Since 1999, the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk. [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]) has impacted over 13 million hectares of pine forests in western Canada. Successful mitigation of the… Expand
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Over the past decade and a half Western North America has experienced a mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) (MPB) outbreak on a scale not previously recorded. Millions of hectares… Expand
Potential for Range Expansion of Mountain Pine Beetle into the Boreal Forest of North America
TLDR
The potential for mountain pine beetle to expand its historical range in North America from west of the continental divide into the eastern boreal forest was assessed on the basis of analyses of the effects of climate and weather on brood development and survival, and key aspects of the interaction of mountain pine beetles with its hosts and associated organisms. Expand
Vertical distribution of carbon dioxide sources and sinks in a recovering mountain pine beetle-attacked lodgepole pine stand
Abstract Large-scale insect outbreaks can substantially alter the carbon exchange of forests. Currently, British Columbia, Canada, is experiencing the largest mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus… Expand
Forest Development and Carbon Dynamics After Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks
TLDR
Infested stands may switch from net carbon sinks to net carbon sources but typically recover within 5–20 years, and carbon losses in infested stands are slow as a result of recalcitrance of snags and coarse woody debris. Expand
Impact of mountain pine beetle on the net ecosystem production of lodgepole pine stands in British Columbia
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Examining how the mountain pine beetle is impacting the net ecosystem production of two attacked lodgepole pine-dominated stands in the central interior of BC suggests that deferring the harvest of stands with significant levels of secondary structure could prevent MPB-attacked forested areas from becoming C sources over extended periods. Expand
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Conifer forests across western North America are undergoing a widespread mortality event mediated by an epidemic outbreak of bark beetles of the genus Dendroctonus and their associated bluestain… Expand
Mountain Pine Beetle Disturbance and Climate Impacts on Subalpine Forest Carbon Cycling
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) subalpine forests are an important regional carbon sink dependent on winter precipitation. Understanding how climate variability and disturbance impact the carbon… Expand
Mountain Pine Beetle Develops an Unprecedented Summer Generation in Response to Climate Warming
TLDR
The expansion of the mountain pine beetle into previously inhospitable environments, combined with the measured ability to increase reproductive output in such locations, indicates that the MPB is tracking climate change, exacerbating the current epidemic. Expand
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