Program Overview
Forest Entomology, Insect Ecology, Plant-Insect Interactions, Chemical Ecology
We study processes that drive the population dynamics of forest insects. We place particular emphasis on:
- Tree Defenses and Insect Counter-adaptations
- Behavior and Population Dynamics of Natural Enemies
- Symbiotic Relationships that Mediate Ecological Interactions
Our goals are to integrate mechanisms operating across multiple levels of scale, link pattern and process to develop comprehensive understanding, and apply this understanding to protect the diverse values of natural resources. We engage in collaborative multidisciplinary research on the basic biologies of forest insects that pose challenges to natural resource management. These issues include:
- Eruptive Population Dynamics, and Their Challenges to Sustainable Forest Resources
- Invasive Species
- Interactions Associated with Changing Climate and Intensive Management
