Data from: Mountain pine beetle host-range expansion threatens the boreal forest

The current epidemic of the mountain pine beetle (MPB), an indigenous pest
of western North American pine, has resulted in significant losses of
lodgepole pine. The leading edge has reached Alberta where forest
composition shifts from lodgepole to jack pine through a hybrid zone. The
susceptibility of jack pine to MPB is a major concern, but there has been
no evidence of host-range expansion, in part due to the difficulty in
distinguishing the parentals and their hybrids. We tested the utility of a
panel of microsatellite loci optimized for both species to classify
lodgepole pine, jack pine and their hybrids using simulated data. We were
able to accurately classify simulated individuals, and hence applied these
markers to identify the ancestry of attacked trees. Here we show for the
first time successful MPB attack in natural jack pine stands at the
leading edge of the epidemic. This once unsuitable habitat is now a novel
environment for MPB to exploit, a potential risk which could be
exacerbated by further climate change. The consequences of host-range
expansion for the vast boreal ecosystem could be significant.