Oregon Public Broadcasting

A new Forest Service study concludes bark beetles may flourish in many Western forests as the Earth temperature gets warmer. But in some areas, beetle populations might actually go down.

Several species of beetles are already killing huge swaths of trees in the western U.S.

Foresters say the insects are preying on trees that are stressed by drought and weakened by disease.

Barbara Bentz says climate change makes the problem worse in some mountain areas. Bentz is a Forest Service research entomologist in Logan, Utah.

Barbara Bentz: "In some areas, such as in high elevation forests in particular now, thermal conditions are becoming more favorable for these species . As temperatures continue to warm throughout the century, however, many areas may actually become less thermally suitable."

Bentz says forests in northern states may be most susceptible to beetle kill. 

The findings have been published in the September issue of the journal BioScience.

Oregon Field Guide