PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Charles Sims
AU  - David Aadland
AU  - David Finnoff
AU  - James Powell
TI  - How Ecosystem Service Provision Can Increase Forest Mortality from Insect Outbreaks
AID  - 10.3368/le.89.1.154
DP  - 2013 Feb 01
TA  - Land Economics
PG  - 154--176
VI  - 89
IP  - 1
4099  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/89/1/154.short
4100  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/89/1/154.full
SO  - Land Econ2013 Feb 01; 89
AB  - Climate change is believed to be the root cause of the unprecedented mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak currently underway in the western United States. While climate change is undoubtedly a factor, changes in public forest management have resulted in more host trees in MPB habitat. We employ a novel approach to separate the contribution of changing preferences for ecosystem services from the effects of fire suppression and climate change in the current MPB outbreak. Simulations illustrate how an increased emphasis on nontimber ecosystem services induced a shift from a climate-independent disturbance process (timber harvesting) to a climatedependent one (insect outbreaks). (JEL Q23, Q57)