Climate Change Induced Potential Impacts (eco‐physiological) on Insect‐Pests in Nepalese Forests: A Synopsis for Future Research and Management

This study aims at reviewing the available literatures on the eco-physiological impacts of climate change on forest insect-pests and its hosts. Methodology adopted for preparing the paper is the critical review of literatures available in Copenhagen University’s Life library databases. Withstanding with the global projections of climate change, Nepal will experience a noticeable rise in temperature and changed rainfall pattern throughout the country in years to come. These changes can create mixed eco-physiological impacts over the insect-pests of Nepalese Forests. In the light of statistics on prevailing climate, projected climatic conditions and forest trees and associated insect-pests in Nepal; the insect-pests’ invasion seems to be obvious than before. Altered climatic trends invite conditions like expansion of natural range by forest insect-pests adapting to new environment. Insect-pests can also switch their host by turning themselves polyphagous to meet the nutritional requirement in new climatic conditions. Besides, advancing their physiological and phenological processes and reducing the vulnerability of being predated are other potential impacts that can happen to insect plant interaction in the future climatic scenarios. These changes in turn are expected to hinder the vital forestry functions through pest damage including carbon dioxide sequestration capacity of forests in Nepal.