Editor's Summary
24 April 2008
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.
Authors: Making the paper: Werner Kurz
Mountain pine beetles contribute to carbon release and climate change.
doi:10.1038/7190xa
Letter: 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 & L. Safranyik
doi:10.1038/nature06777
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (917K) | Supplementary information
