Managing Bark Beetle Impacts on Social-Ecological Systems
Location
USU Eccles Conference Center
Abstract
Recent outbreaks of native bark beetles in North America and Europe have impacted forested landscapes and the provisioning of critical ecosystem services. The effects of outbreaks on ecosystems are often measured in terms of area affected, tree mortality rates, and alterations to forest structure and composition. Impacts to human systems focus on changes in property valuation, infrastructure damage from falling trees, landscape aesthetics, and the quality and quantity of timber and water resources. To advance our understanding of bark beetle impacts, a team of ecologists, land managers and social scientists was assembled to participate in a research prioritization workshop. Using an established methodology, 25 priority questions were identified to address key knowledge gaps in bark beetle research. Our efforts emphasize the need to improve outbreak monitoring and detection, educate the public on the ecological role of bark beetles, and develop integrated metrics that facilitate comparison of ecosystem services across sites.
Managing Bark Beetle Impacts on Social-Ecological Systems
USU Eccles Conference Center
Recent outbreaks of native bark beetles in North America and Europe have impacted forested landscapes and the provisioning of critical ecosystem services. The effects of outbreaks on ecosystems are often measured in terms of area affected, tree mortality rates, and alterations to forest structure and composition. Impacts to human systems focus on changes in property valuation, infrastructure damage from falling trees, landscape aesthetics, and the quality and quantity of timber and water resources. To advance our understanding of bark beetle impacts, a team of ecologists, land managers and social scientists was assembled to participate in a research prioritization workshop. Using an established methodology, 25 priority questions were identified to address key knowledge gaps in bark beetle research. Our efforts emphasize the need to improve outbreak monitoring and detection, educate the public on the ecological role of bark beetles, and develop integrated metrics that facilitate comparison of ecosystem services across sites.