Global exposure risk of timber production, carbon stocking, and biodiversity to forest pests

Pests pose escalating threats to forest ecosystem services globally, yet the patterns of forest vulnerability to these threats remain unclear. Leveraging over 7 million occurrence records of 2,038 pest species, we identify north-western Europe and eastern North America as global epicenters of forest-pest richness, dominated by insect fauna. Risk zones, where high pest richness coincides with timber production, carbon-rich forests, or diverse tree communities, cover 3.5% and 1.6% of forest globally within and outside the native ranges of pests, respectively. Forests in regions with stable temperatures and adequate precipitation support high ecosystem services but also favor pest richness, while forest fragmentation amplifies vulnerability to pests. Our findings provide a spatial blueprint for global pest management and underscore the urgent need for protecting forest health.