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Mountain pine beetle develops an unprecedented summer generation in response to climate warming.
Jeffry B Mitton1, Scott M Ferrenberg
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA. mitton@colorado.edu
The American Naturalist
|April 17, 2012
Summary
Climate change is accelerating mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemics. Warmer temperatures are lengthening MPB flight seasons and enabling faster development, leading to larger, more widespread outbreaks in western North America.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Entomology
- Climate Change Science
Background:
- The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) is a native insect pest in western North America.
- MPB outbreaks periodically devastate Pinus species, with the current epidemic being unprecedented in scale.
- The beetle is expanding into higher elevations and latitudes than previously recorded.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of rising air temperatures on the mountain pine beetle's life cycle and phenology.
- To determine if climate change is contributing to the expansion and increased severity of MPB epidemics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of historical climate data and MPB flight season records in the Colorado Front Range.
- Monitoring of MPB development rates and reproductive output in response to temperature changes.
- Comparison of current MPB population dynamics with historical data.
Main Results:
- A 2-decade increase in air temperature has led to MPB flight seasons starting over a month earlier and lasting twice as long.
- Some MPB broods are now completing two generations per year, up from one previously.
- MPB development is temperature-dependent, with faster development observed due to warming trends.
Conclusions:
- Mountain pine beetles are directly responding to climate change through accelerated development and increased reproductive rates.
- The expansion of MPB into new environments and their enhanced reproductive capacity indicate they are tracking climate change.
- These factors are exacerbating the current large-scale MPB epidemic, posing significant threats to North American forests.
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