Insects like beetles kill and feed on large number of trees. (natureworldnews.com)
When large numbers of trees are relatively uniform on the landscape, a sudden or even a chronic stress such as old age can make a sizeable forest resource available to beetle populations all at once. (sciencedaily.com)
Extreme droughts that kill large numbers of trees can temporarily turn a sink into a carbon source. (forestsnews.cifor.org)