Certain insect pests and pathogens will increase in occurrence or become more damaging in New England and northern New York.

The loss of a traditionally cold climate and short growing season in the region may allow some insect pests and pathogens to expand their ranges northward such as hemlock woolly adelgid and southern pine beetle. Forest impacts from insect pests and pathogens are generally more severe in ecosystems that are stressed by drought and other stressors. Basic information is often lacking on the climatic thresholds that trigger increased populations of many forest pests, and our ability to predict the mechanisms of infection, dispersal, and transmission for disease agents remains low. Further, it is not possible to predict which new pests or pathogens will enter the region during the 21st century.