The Bereavement of the North American Forest System
Tens of millions of acres of American forest have been devastated over the last couple of decades due to bark beetle infestation. Bark beetles are native to this area and play an important role in ecological health and forest renewal. However, climate change in this region has caused shifts in temperature and increased water stress, creating conditions within trees that are favorable to the survival and growth of this species. This has caused the beetle population to grow exponentially, overwhelming the forest and ravaging tree population. This will have negative ecological, economical, and social effects on the American Northwest.
