A newly published study suggests that mountain pine beetle infestations are contributing to climate change. The beetles are not only doing well in a warmer climate, their infestations are also making forests warmer. As described in this article from the Vancouver Sun, the effect is a result of trees no longer producing moisture to cool themselves in the warm summer months; this moisture would normally evaporate and cool the surrounding area. Without the moisture, the sun simply heats up the area.
The research in question was published in the journal Nature Geoscience; the abstract and article can be accessed here.
