The Southern Pine Beetle makes a meal of trees near Mayslanding, Atlantic County, leaving dead stands of pine trees in their wake. Photo taken June, 2011, by forester Bob Williams.

Southern pine beetles march farther north each year leaving trails of dead pine trees in their wake, and moving deeper into the pitch pine forests of the Jersey Pine Barrens.

With each encroaching mile, foresters and environmentalists worry about the effects on the unique ecosystem.