Insects, both native and those brought into the country, are draining the life out of the nation’s forests. Global trade, a warming climate, and drought-damaged trees have helped insects to become one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in the U.S.
The Hemlock woolly adelgid is just one of a growing number of insects draining the life out of forests from New England to the West Coast of the United States.
Scientists say insects are already driving some tree species to extinction and causing billions of dollars a year in damages — and the problem is expected to only get worse. “They are one of the few things that can actually eliminate a forest tree species in pretty short order — within years,” said Harvard University ecologist David Orwig, according to the Associated Press.
A peer-reviewed study this year in Ecological Applications explains that the insect scourge is expected to put 63 percent of U.S. forests at risk through 2027, particularly in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. It will cost several billion dollars annually for dead tree removal, not to mention declining property values and losses to the timber industry.
The study focused on non-native forest insects and diseases in the U.S. and their ecological and economic impacts, how they arrived, their distribution within the country, and options for reducing future invasions.
From Digital Journal: https://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/an-expanding-army-of-insects-is-eating-away-at-usa-forests/article/481221#ixzz4SFhYOet6