Bark Beetles
(David McNew/Getty Images)
A member of the U.S. Forest Service cuts down a weakened cedar tree near Idyllwild, Calif.
Several species of bark beetles are seeing a population boom due to rising temperatures.
"All of these species were kept in check by the very strong winter freezes," Camille Parmesan, an associate professor of integrated biology at the University of Texas, says. She also says that longer summers and shorter winters have helped these parasites thrive.
"As spring has come earlier and as fall is later, these species are able to fit in more generations in a year," she says.
This is great news for the beetles but disastrous for trees across the country that struggle for survival during droughts and are then forced to fight off insect infestations in their weakened states.
