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Forests
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Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems
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Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2022) | Viewed by 13016

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Christian Hébert

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec City, QC, Canada
Interests: insect; ecology; monitoring; traps; pest management; natural control; biodiversity; Lepidoptera; Coleoptera; forest management; conservation; dead wood; Saproxylic

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Integrated Pest Management is a concept that has been developed for agriculture. It is based on the idea that pests should be controlled when they reach an economic damage threshold and, thus, requires efficient pest monitoring. Forest ecosystems cover huge areas  and implementing IPM for controlling insect pests in remote regions is a major challenge because of poor site accessibility, which makes monitoring difficult. Moreover, an economic damage  threshold is much more difficult to define for trees that will be harvested in 10-40 years than for annual agriculture crops. Therefore, insect pest monitoring and damage assessment are the first steps for implementing efficient insect pest management in forest ecosystems, followed by the development of efficient control methods.

The aim of this Special Issue is to invite entomologists and forest managers from all over the world and from all types of ecosystems in which trees grow (natural forests, urban forests, plantations, and nurseries), to share their research, programmes and approaches to provide better baselines for managing insects attacking trees. The Special Issue will accept studies from broad research topics related to forest insect pests including:

  • Risk assessment;
  • Population dynamics;
  • Monitoring;
  • Sampling methods;
  • Damage assessment;
  • Damage forecasting;
  • Economic impact;
  • Pest control;
  • Biological control;
  • Pest management;
  • Invasive species;
  • Effects of climate change;
  • Habitat change.

Dr. Christian Hébert
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Insect pest
  • Risk assessment
  • Damage
  • Defoliation
  • Tree mortality
  • Control
  • Monitoring
  • Forecast
  • Invasive
  • Alien
  • Climate change

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 6118 KiB  
Article
Accuracy of Defoliation Estimates from Aerial and Ground Surveys in a Boreal Forest during an Outbreak of the Hemlock Looper, Lambdina fiscellaria (Guenée)
by Jean-Michel Béland, Éric Bauce, Conrad Cloutier, Richard Berthiaume and Christian Hébert
Forests 2022, 13(7), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071120 - 16 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1292
Abstract
Annual estimates of defoliation are important tools for managing forest insect defoliators such as the hemlock looper, which feeds on conifer needles of all age classes. We tested the accuracy of defoliation classes obtained from aerial surveys by comparing them with ground-based estimates [...] Read more.
Annual estimates of defoliation are important tools for managing forest insect defoliators such as the hemlock looper, which feeds on conifer needles of all age classes. We tested the accuracy of defoliation classes obtained from aerial surveys by comparing them with ground-based estimates during a recent outbreak of this insect. We used an approach derived from the Fettes method to estimate defoliation on the current-year shoots as well as on the shoots of the four previous years. Defoliation on the current-year shoots provided accurate estimates of the overall defoliation and the strength of the relationship gradually decreasing for one-year-old to four-year-old foliage. The aerial survey provided accurate estimates of light and moderate defoliation during the first year of the outbreak, but accuracy was lower for both ends of the defoliation gradient and was much less reliable after the second year of the outbreak. All levels of defoliation were then observed in stands where defoliation had not been detected by an aerial survey. Cumulative defoliation on all age classes of foliage brings a new challenge to crews assigned to aerial survey programs. Ground-level defoliation estimates on the current-year shoots can help appraise the risk of tree mortality in the following year. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems)
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11 pages, 2717 KiB  
Article
Tomodensitometry as a Tool to Detect and Study Two Agrilus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Species
by Véronique Martel, Sébastien Bélanger, Robert Lavallée and Christian Hébert
Forests 2022, 13(7), 1092; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071092 - 12 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1492
Abstract
Exotic insect species are an increasing concern with international trade. Detecting and removing any insect are thus important for any imported/exported product, including wood products. For example, wood transportation is known to be an important pathway for the introduction and dispersal of the [...] Read more.
Exotic insect species are an increasing concern with international trade. Detecting and removing any insect are thus important for any imported/exported product, including wood products. For example, wood transportation is known to be an important pathway for the introduction and dispersal of the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). This Asian species is causing high mortality of ash trees in its introduced range because of the weak natural defense of trees and the virtual absence of natural enemies. For similar reasons, there are concerns in Europe that the Bronze Birch Borer, A. anxius, native to North America, could be introduced and cause important birch mortality. Having efficient detection methods and phytosanitary measures to prevent introducing it is thus important. In this study, we evaluated tomodensitometry—or CT-scan—as a detection method for detecting these two Agrilus spp. using debarking as the method of reference. Using CT-scan, we were also able to precisely measure the depth of insects in ash and birch trees in order to recommend proper phytosanitary measures for exportation and importation of wood products. Both techniques efficiently detect the presence of insects in ash, paper birch, and yellow birch. However, the number of A. anxius detected depended on both the technique and the diameter of the sample. The depth of insects depended on tree species, sample diameter, and life-stage. Globally, A. planipennis are deeper in ash trees than A. anxius in birch trees, and prepupae are deeper than larvae. The maximal depth in the sapwood (excluding bark thickness) for ash, paper birch, and yellow birch was 21.9 mm, 6.30 mm, and 3.22 mm, respectively. While CT-scan is more expensive and requires access to expensive equipment, debarking is more time-consuming, especially if the number of insects needs to be determined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems)
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20 pages, 4508 KiB  
Article
The Forest Tent Caterpillar in Minnesota: Detectability, Impact, and Cycling Dynamics
by Barry J. Cooke, Brian R. Sturtevant and Louis-Etienne Robert
Forests 2022, 13(4), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13040601 - 12 Apr 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1890
Abstract
If periodically outbreaking forest insects are a generic source of forest decline, then why do outbreaks recur more periodically than decline episodes? Do standard field survey data and proxy data systematically underestimate the complexity in herbivore population dynamics? We examine three sources of [...] Read more.
If periodically outbreaking forest insects are a generic source of forest decline, then why do outbreaks recur more periodically than decline episodes? Do standard field survey data and proxy data systematically underestimate the complexity in herbivore population dynamics? We examine three sources of previously un-analyzed time-series data (population, defoliation, and tree-ring radial growth) for the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) feeding on trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx. (Salicaceae), in Minnesota, in order to answer these questions. Spatial pattern analysis of defoliation data indicated not only that outbreaks are roughly periodic, with a 10–13-y cycle, but also that important deviations from periodic led to large-scale episodes of aspen decline starting in the 1950s and 1960s, near Duluth and International Falls, respectively. By using additional data from Alberta, Canada we identify critical population and defoliation thresholds where defoliation becomes aerially detectable and impactful on tree growth. The threshold where defoliation becomes aerially detectable was found to be ~50% defoliation, corresponding to a population density of ~12 egg bands per 20 cm DBH tree (or ~20 cocoons per 3 min of collection time, or ~10 male moths per pheromone trap), and which implies a radial growth reduction on the order of 40%. We found that not all moth population peaks occur above the threshold level where defoliation is aerially detectable. Asynchronous pulses of defoliation—which are difficult to detect—produce asynchronous signatures of outbreak in tree-ring data. When these pulses occur in close conjunction with regular cycling, it can lead to outbreaks of prolonged duration that result in anomalously high tree mortality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 8138 KiB  
Article
Degradation of White Birch Shelterbelts by the Attack of White-Spotted Longicorn Beetles in Central Hokkaido, Northern Japan
by Kazuhiko Masaka, Yohichi Wakita, Kenta Iwasaki and Masato Hayamizu
Forests 2022, 13(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010034 - 29 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1568
Abstract
A widespread decline of white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) shelterbelts was observed in central Hokkaido, Japan. Many exit holes bored by white-spotted longicorn beetles (Anoplophora malasiaca) were found at the base of the trunks of trees in these [...] Read more.
A widespread decline of white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) shelterbelts was observed in central Hokkaido, Japan. Many exit holes bored by white-spotted longicorn beetles (Anoplophora malasiaca) were found at the base of the trunks of trees in these stands. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of infestation on the degradation, and demonstrates whether the number of exit holes (Nholes) can be used as an index of the decline of trees. We selected 35 healthy appearing stands and 16 degraded stands in the study area. A generalized linear mixed model with zero inflation revealed that Nholes of standing dead trees tended to be greater than that of living trees, and the tree vigor decreased with increasing Nholes. These results implied that the degradation of the shelterbelts was caused by the beetle. We also found size-dependent mortality, i.e., only a few larvae can cause the death of smaller trees, but not larger trees. Furthermore, evaluation of the degradation at the stand level (Nholes) using a logistic regression analysis revealed that the degradation at the stand level could be predicted by Nholes. Our findings can be used as a useful index marker for diagnosing white birch shelterbelts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems)
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16 pages, 3182 KiB  
Article
Are Climates in Canada and the United States Suitable for the European Spruce Bark Beetle, Ips typographus, and Its Fungal Associate, Endoconidiophora polonica?
by Kishan R. Sambaraju and Chantal Côté
Forests 2021, 12(12), 1725; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121725 - 7 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3515
Abstract
Invasions of exotic forest insects and pathogens can devastate evolutionarily naïve habitats and could cause irreversible changes to urban and natural ecosystems. Given the ever-increasing volume of trade in wood and plant stock worldwide, establishment of non-native pests under climate change is one [...] Read more.
Invasions of exotic forest insects and pathogens can devastate evolutionarily naïve habitats and could cause irreversible changes to urban and natural ecosystems. Given the ever-increasing volume of trade in wood and plant stock worldwide, establishment of non-native pests under climate change is one of the most important forest health concerns currently. The European spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus, is a damaging, phloem-feeding insect of Norway spruce, Picea abies, in Eurasia. Endoconidiophora polonica is the most virulent ophiostomatoid fungal associate of I. typographus. Spruce species native to North America are susceptible to this insect-pathogen complex. We studied the suitability of ‘current’ (1970–2000) and future climates (2021–2100) in Canada and the United States for these two species via ensemble species distribution models. We also determined overlapping regions favorable to both I. typographus and E. polonica. Our results indicate that, currently, climate is particularly suitable for I. typographus and E. polonica in western Canada and throughout the United States. Northward shifts in climatic suitability are projected to occur in Canada for both species under climate change. By the end of the 21st century, a coast-to-coast corridor of climatic suitability for I. typographus and E. polonica will occur in Canada under high-temperature regimes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems)
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11 pages, 1223 KiB  
Article
Felled and Lure Trap Trees with Uncut Branches Are Only Weakly Attractive to the Double-Spined Bark Beetle, Ips duplicatus
by Vojtěch Šotola, Jaroslav Holuša, Karel Kuželka and Emanuel Kula
Forests 2021, 12(7), 941; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12070941 - 17 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1855
Abstract
Bark beetles are the most important forest pests in the Northern Hemisphere. The range of Ips duplicatus, an invasive bark beetle in central Europe, has been steadily expanding, and it is now responsible for a high proportion of the spruce wood infested [...] Read more.
Bark beetles are the most important forest pests in the Northern Hemisphere. The range of Ips duplicatus, an invasive bark beetle in central Europe, has been steadily expanding, and it is now responsible for a high proportion of the spruce wood infested by bark beetles. Apart from searching for and eliminating infested trees, there is no effective control method. The aim of this study was to determine whether trap trees with a pheromone evaporator can be used to capture I. duplicatus. Felled trap trees with branches and with pheromone lures (ID Ecolure®) were infested by I. duplicatus, at a median density of 1 nuptial chambers per 0.1 m2 (median); similar trees without lures and lying at a distance of 1, 5, or 10 m from the lure trees were rarely infested by I. duplicatus. The entire surface of the lure trees could capture <400 beetles per tree. The results indicate that lure trap trees (felled and with branches attached) could only be used in a limited number of situations; one such situation would involve forests that suffered wind damage and contained very high numbers of I. duplicatus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pest Management in Forest Ecosystems)
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