Climate Change and Ecosystem Disruption: The Health Impacts of the North American Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation Open Access

Abstract

Climate Change and Ecosystem Disruption: The Health Impacts of the North American
Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation

By
Sally Embrey


Climate change is disrupting ecosystems worldwide. This disruption can pose a
significant threat to human health through direct exposures and diminished ecosystem
services. In the US and Canada, the pine forest ecosystems are being dramatically disrupted
by pine beetle infestation. Recent decreased frequency of extremely cold days and
corresponding increase in yearly winter temperatures have led to an epiphytotic 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 precipitation
runoff and water turbidity, forest fires, and loss of ecosystem services. This paper reviews
these 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.

Climate Change and Ecosystem Disruption: The Health Impacts of the North
American Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation

By
Sally Embrey
B.S.
Colorado State University
2009
Thesis Committee Chair: Jeremy Hess, MD, MPH
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the
Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Public Health
in the Environmental Health and Epidemiology Department
2011

Table of Contents

Introduction and Background, Page 1

Mountain Pine Beetle And Blue Stain Fungus Ecology, Page 2

Pine Beetle Infestation Containment Strategies and Their Efficacy, Page 4

Impacts of the Current Epiphytotic on Ecosystem Services, Page 5

Public Health Impacts by Exposure, Page 8

Managing the Public Health Impacts, Page 11

Ecological Disruption, Public Health, and Climate Change Adaptation, Page 15

Conclusion, Page 17

About this Master's Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Environmental Health
Degree	MSPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Keyword	Ecosystem disruption, ecosystem services, climate change, public health preparedness
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Hess, Jeremy, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Does not apply (no collaborating organization)

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