Bark Beetle
About the Bark Beetle
Tiny but devastating - they have killed billions of trees across North America. Mountain pine beetles have destroyed 40 million acres of forest in the western US and Canada. They communicate using pheromones to coordinate mass attacks on trees. They carry symbiotic fungi that help overcome tree defenses. Climate change has expanded their range into previously too-cold areas. They are among the most economically destructive forest pests. Some species practice agriculture, cultivating fungi in their tunnels. Outbreaks are natural but warming winters have removed population controls.
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