Bark Beetles
It’s OK, though, because not every creepy-crawly that benefits from climate change is spreading human and animal disease. Instead, some infect plants.
Forest-decimating bark beetles infest conifer trees by laying their eggs under the bark, and they bring fungus with them. The combination of fungal disease and hungry insect larvae kills vulnerable trees—especially ones suffering from drought. Bigger bark beetle outbreaks and range expansions have been linked to warming seasonal temperatures for decades.
In a climate change double whammy, simultaneous severe drought and bark beetle spikes have caused massive tree mortality in the western U.S. In 2015, a single, particularly bad outbreak killed more than 12 million trees. Although there is some research suggesting that certain tree species are evolving to better manage bark beetle attacks, it’s certain to be an ongoing, uphill battle.
