Forest Impacts of Climate Change: Monitoring Indicators
Southern Pine Beetle
The Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) is a species of bark beetle that infests pine trees and is native to the southeastern United States. The range of this pest has been gradually expanding northwards up the east coast, most likely due to increasing winter temperatures as a result of climate change. Monitoring pine stands for the presence of southern pine beetle and tracking the severity of existing infestations can provide valuable insight into the impacts of climate change on the health of forest ecosystems.
There are 2 protocols that are used to monitor the indicator: Southern Pine Beetle. The first three studies on the list below are the most common methods of monitoring in the Northeast region.
The impacts of climate indicators can be measured using different ecological metrics of quantification. The metrics used in a study can affect how it is designed and the questions that it can answer. The information below shows the types of metrics and number of associated protocols that are captured by the data represented in this project.