Researchers say climate change is affecting North American forests, their insects

"Climate change is making North American forests more vulnerable to insects and disease but is helping some trees grow faster and increase their resistance to pests, a team of researchers from Dartmouth University said Monday," Lenny Bernstein reports for The Washington Post. Researchers, who looked at more than 500 scientific studies since the 1950s, "said that warmer temperatures and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are boosting tree growth, which could have a positive impact on economies that depend on timber and wood pulp and could help pull carbon out of the ecosystem."

"Researchers found 27 insects and 22 diseases that are 'notable agents of disturbance' in North American forests," Bernstein writes. "Some areas devastated by insects or disease may be restored because of continued warming, with insects dying off because temperatures are too high for them, Weed said. But warming also allows insects to flourish and exaggerates their natural role in keeping forests healthy, the researchers found. Various types of bark beetles (above) for example, are doing more damage than expected, they said." (Read more) To read the full report click here.