title: Climate change and ecosystem disruption: the health impacts of the North American Rocky Mountain pine beetle infestation.
abstract: In the United States and Canada, pine forest ecosystems are being dramatically affected by an unprecedented pine beetle infestation attributed to climate change. Both decreased frequency of extremely cold days and warmer winter temperature averages have led to an enphytotic devastating millions of acres of pine forest. The associated ecosystem disruption has the potential to cause significant health impacts from a range of exposures, including increased runoff and water turbidity, forest fires, and loss of ecosystem services. We review direct and indirect health impacts and possible prevention strategies. The pine beetle infestation highlights the need for public health to adopt an ecological, systems-oriented view to anticipate the full range of potential health impacts from climate change and facilitate effective planned adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. sembrey@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Embrey
authors.forename: Justin V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Remais
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hess
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057231:Climate Change; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D005390:Fires; D016468:Forestry / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D009656:North America; D055155:Ophiostomatales / Q000254:growth & development; D028223:Pinus / Q000469:parasitology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014881:Water Supply