Mountain pine beetle and forest carbon feedback to climate change

W. A. Kurz (), C. C. Dymond, G. Stinson, G. J. Rampley, E. T. Neilson, A. L. Carroll, T. Ebata and L. Safranyik
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W. A. Kurz: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5, Canada
C. C. Dymond: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5, Canada
G. Stinson: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5, Canada
G. J. Rampley: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5, Canada
E. T. Neilson: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5, Canada
A. L. Carroll: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5, Canada
T. Ebata: British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 9C2, Canada
L. Safranyik: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5, Canada

Nature, 2008, vol. 452, issue 7190, 987-990

Abstract: Forest carbon switch The forests of British Columbia are suffering a severe infestation with the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae). Climate change is thought to have contributed to the severity of this outbreak by allowing it to expand its range into formerly inhospitable areas. An analysis of the likely impact of the outbreak during the period 2000 to 2020 suggests that it will convert the forest from a small net carbon (C) sink to a large net C source. This change — and similar effects caused by other insect pests and forest fires — could put North American forest carbon sinks at risk, and should be taken into account when modelling the impact of climate change on carbon cycling.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature06777

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