Climate change is hampering mountain pine beetle reproduction but also appears to slightly benefit the invasive insect in other ways, new University of Alberta research shows.
The mixed scenario provides "a deeper understanding of dynamics that are crucial to building effective forest management and conservation strategies in the face of ongoing environmental changes," says Rashaduz Zaman, who led the study, working toward a PhD in forest biology and management from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.
The study the first to show specifically how the mountain pine beetle is affected by elevated levels of two greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and ozone provides new insight into how the insect and its relationship with beneficial fungi are influenced by climate change.
The findings signal a mix of potentially positive and negative implications for the beetle.
