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As climate warms, bark beetles march on high-elevation forests

Warming temperatures in the northern Rocky Mountains have led to changes in where pine beetles are able to thrive, meaning more forests are vulnerable to attack. As reported by Science Daily, new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that whitebark pine forests are increasingly under attack. These forests have traditionally not been vulnerable to beetle infestations, so have not developed defenses to the bugs.