Climate change and invasions by nonnative bark and ambrosia beetles

Abstract Bark and ambrosia beetles are highly successful invaders because of their life history, habits, and propensity to be easily transported by anthropogenic activities. Globalization and climate change interact to facilitate the movement of many species across and among continents, contributing to wide range expansions. Consequently, some species are transformed into notable pests in invaded areas where they can induce tree mortality. Climatic variables are strong predictors of bark and ambrosia beetle invasion potential as tolerance to extreme conditions allows them to colonize new large areas if moved by humans. We synthesized the observed and predicted impacts of climate change and human activities on worldwide invasions by bark and ambrosia beetles at each stage of the invasion process, i.e., transport, arrival, establishment and spread. Even though environmental conditions are usually strong predictors of invasion performance, the precise relationships between climate change and invasion potential are still unclear for most bark and ambrosia beetle species. Identifying the long-term drivers behind invasion success is essential to predict which species are likely to expand their ranges globally and to identify geographic areas that are most prone to these future invasions.