Pine Beetles Turn Forests From Carbon Sinks to Sources

Pine Beetles Turn Forests From Carbon Sinks to Sources: "An outbreak of mountain pine beetles in British Columbia is doing more than destroying millions of trees: By 2020, the beetles will have done so much damage that the forest is expected to release more carbon dioxide than it absorbs, according to new research.

The study, led by Werner Kurz of the Canadian Forest Service, estimates that over 21 years trees killed by the beetle outbreak could release 990 megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere —roughly equivalent to five years of emissions from Canada's transportation sector."