Article
Forestry
Zach M. Smith, Kevin D. Chase, Etsuro Takagi, Aubree M. Kees, Brian H. Aukema
Summary: The study found that using ipsenol, an aggregation pheromone of Ips grandicollis, on jack pine logs can attract more Ips grandicollis compared to logs baited with pheromones of mountain pine beetle and host volatiles. The presence of lures for mountain pine beetle inhibits colonization by Ips grandicollis, while longhorn borers are more attracted to logs baited with ipsenol. These results suggest that common bark and woodboring species like Ips grandicollis and longhorn borers may not compete with mountain pine beetles at tree-colonizing stages, posing little resistance to invasion if mountain pine beetle were to invade the Great Lakes Region.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Jackson P. Audley, Christopher J. Fettig, A. Steven Munson, Justin B. Runyon, Leif A. Mortenson, Brytten E. Steed, Kenneth E. Gibson, Carl L. Jorgensen, Stephen R. McKelvey, Joel D. McMillin, Jose F. Negron
Summary: The study identified factors influencing the fall rates of lodgepole pines killed by bark beetles, with slope aspect having the strongest influence. Northern aspects, increased canopy cover, and taller snag heights decreased the probability of snag fall, while southern aspects and increased height:dbh ratios increased the probability. The predicted half-life for snag fall was around 16 years since death, with a gradual decline in snag survival probability beyond that point.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Catherine E. Wangen, James A. Powell, Barbara J. Bentz
Summary: A predictive oviposition model was developed for a southern population of mountain pine beetle, incorporating factors like temperature and fecundity. The model was compared with other models and their predictive capacities were evaluated.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Victor A. Shegelski, Maya L. Evenden, Dezene P. W. Huber, Felix A. H. Sperling
Summary: Research has found that the flight capacity of the mountain pine beetle is associated with multiple gene systems, mainly including lipid metabolism and muscle maintenance. Some genes are upregulated during flight, while other systems are downregulated during dispersal to conserve energy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. E. Musso, C. Fortier, D. P. W. Huber, A. L. Carroll, M. L. Evenden
Summary: When the mountain pine beetle expands its range into the western boreal forest, it encounters lodgepole pines and jack pines that have different constitutive and induced defenses. The induced terpene content in the attacked trees increases significantly only after the winter season.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Diana L. Six, Amy Trowbridge, Michael Howe, Dana Perkins, Erika Berglund, Peter Brown, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Ganesh Balasubramanian
Summary: Climate change-driven outbreaks of Dendroctonus ponderosae in whitebark pine may lead to rapid natural selection for tree survival traits. Survivors were found to be genetically and chemically different from trees that escaped predation, with smaller trees exhibiting lower genetic diversity. Growth rate was identified as the best predictor of survival, as survivors grew slower than beetle-killed trees and showed a convergence in growth rates just prior to increased beetle activity.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Victor J. Lieffers, Julie Benedik, Ken Stadt, S. Ellen Macdonald
Summary: The expansion of mountain pine beetle into northern boreal pine forests in Alberta, Canada has caused dramatic changes in tree regeneration conditions. A study showed that pine regeneration was very poor after 6-9 years, primarily due to high levels of cone serotiny, unsuitable regeneration microsites, and competition from other vegetation. Without intervention, many of these stands will likely transition away from pine to other species.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Micah Brush, Mark A. Lewis
Summary: This study presents a new model that incorporates forest growth and mountain pine beetle (MPB) population dynamics, accurately capturing key aspects of MPB biology. The findings suggest that as forest resilience decreases, transient boom and bust cycles are observed in the beetle population, with lower host resilience increasing the likelihood of future outbreaks.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yanzhuo Liu, Gean Rodrigues Anastacio, Guncha Ishangulyyeva, Jean C. Rodriguez-Ramos, Nadir Erbilgin
Summary: Recent studies have focused on the interactions between mutualistic bark beetles and ophiostomatoid fungi, showing how volatile organic compounds emitted by mutualist fungi can influence bark beetle behaviors. This study investigated the effects of a beetle pheromone, host tree volatiles, and their combination on the growth and biomass of two mutualistic fungi. The results suggest that both Grosmannia clavigera and Ophiostoma montium can utilize bark beetle pheromones and host tree volatiles as nutrient sources, supporting further research on the role of volatile organic compounds in mediating mutualistic bark beetle-fungi interactions.
Article
Forestry
Fatima M. Mendez-Encina, Jorge Mendez-Gonzalez, Rocio Mendieta-Oviedo, Jose O. M. Lopez-Diaz, Juan A. Najera-Luna
Summary: This study generated ecological niche models and evaluated the climate suitability overlap between bark beetles and pine trees, finding that Dendroctonus mexicanus is expanding into climates not currently occupied by the studied pine species.
Article
Forestry
Paul J. Chisholm, Camille S. Stevens-Rumann, Thomas Seth Davis
Summary: In temperate coniferous forests, the probability of tree mortality during bark beetle outbreaks is influenced by factors such as tree diameter, stand density, and elevation. The study found that mortality rates were lower in trees with higher live crown ratios, and rose with increasing tree diameter, stand basal area, and elevation. The association between elevation and mortality risk was buffered by precipitation, with dry high-elevation stands experiencing more mortality than moist high-elevation stands. Tree diameter, crown ratio, and stand density affected tree mortality independent of precipitation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Gregory S. Pappas, Daniel B. Tinker, Monique E. Rocca
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the changes in understory species and communities following severe mountain pine beetle-induced lodgepole pine mortality. The results show that more species appeared than disappeared 5 years after the peak of the outbreak, with new species comprising both early- and late-successional species. There was an increase in the number of highly common species and a decrease in the number of exceedingly rare species. Some species were able to take advantage of the new stand conditions and expand throughout the study area through various dispersal methods. Although shifts in community composition were minimal, there was a slight convergence of plant community groups, indicating a trend towards community homogenization.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Sneha Vissa, David N. Soderberg, Richard W. Hofstetter
Summary: Climate warming has significant effects on forest insect populations, particularly bark beetles, influencing the abundance of symbiotic mite communities associated with them. Mite populations show adaptation to local climates, impacting beetle reproduction and health. Understanding these patterns can provide insights into how climate change will affect beetle-mite associations in forest ecosystems.
Article
Ecology
Vanessa Agbulu, Rashaduz Zaman, Guncha Ishangulyyeva, James F. Cahill, N. Erbilgin
Summary: This study showed that host defense metabolites impact the suitability of hosts to bark beetles by influencing their fungal symbionts, and different species of fungal symbionts respond differently to host monoterpene blends.
Article
Entomology
Victor A. Shegelski, Erin O. Campbell, Kirsten M. Thompson, Caroline M. Whitehouse, Felix A. H. Sperling
Summary: The study used genetic data to identify parent populations for recent mountain pine beetle outbreak sites in Alberta. Results show that the northern population cluster was the source of the most eastern established population near Lac La Biche, and the rapid expansion to this leading-edge population has prevented the establishment of population structure evidence. Additionally, dispersal from populations in Jasper and Hinton areas has been detected as far north and east as Slave Lake in Alberta.
CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Pouria Ramazi, Samuel M. Fischer, Julie Alexander, Clayton T. James, Andrew J. Paul, Russell Greiner, Mark A. Lewis
Summary: A graphical model for the establishment and spread of whirling disease has been developed by synthesizing experts' opinions and empirical studies, providing an empirically driven framework for constructing future models.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biology
Philip K. Maini, Mark A. J. Chaplain, Mark A. Lewis, Jonathan A. Sherratt
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Chunxi Feng, Mark A. Lewis, Chuncheng Wang, Hao Wang
Summary: In this paper, a novel free boundary problem is proposed to model the movement of single species with a range boundary. The movement of the species within the range boundary is governed by a reaction-diffusion equation, while the movement of the range limit is influenced by the total population inside the range boundary and is described by an integro-differential equation. The new model is well-posed and possesses steady state, and the spreading speed of the range boundary is slower compared to the equivalent problem with a Stefan condition. The model extends the dichotomy of spreading-vanishing behavior to a trichotomy of spreading-balancing-vanishing.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Peter R. Thompson, Andrew E. Derocher, Mark A. Edwards, Mark A. Lewis
Summary: Spatial memory in animals plays a crucial role in determining their movement patterns, which can be observed by ecologists. A model has been developed to understand how animals utilize memory in their environments, allowing for an increased understanding of animal cognition. The model shows potential in identifying specific mechanisms through which animals use memory to optimize their foraging strategies.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Xiunan Wang, Hao Wang, Pouria Ramazi, Kyeongah Nah, Mark Lewis
Summary: This study combines a mechanistic model with a machine learning algorithm to predict the number of daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 by estimating the transmission rate from non-pharmaceutical policy data. The resulting model accurately forecasts the number of cases in the future and identifies the most informative predictive variables. This research is important for improving prediction models and informing policymakers.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
F. M. Hamelin, Y. Mammeri, Y. Aigu, S. E. Strelkov, M. A. Lewis
Summary: This research explores the spread of disease in host mixtures composed of two genotypes (susceptible and resistant), showing that the disease spread may be split into two fronts led by wild-type and resistance-breaking pathogens. The study demonstrates that host diversification methods can have both positive and negative effects on disease spread compared to a resistant pure stand.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Christopher M. M. Heggerud, Hao Wang, Mark A. A. Lewis
Summary: This article proposes a model that combines socio-economic and ecological dynamics to study the impact of human activities on freshwater lakes. The model takes into account the choices made by human populations to mitigate pollution, and reveals the existence of two stable states corresponding to different levels of mitigation efforts and cyanobacteria abundance. The study also examines the social interactions in a network of lakes and demonstrates the influence of social ostracism and pressure on regime shifts between cooperation levels and cyanobacteria abundance.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Chaminda De Silva Weeraddana, Maya L. Evenden
Summary: Oviposition by specialist herbivores can increase the susceptibility of the host plant to infestation by generalist herbivores.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Natasha J. Klappstein, Jonathan R. Potts, Theo Michelot, Luca Borger, Nicholas W. Pilfold, Mark A. Lewis, Andrew E. Derocher
Summary: The energy selection function (ESF) is introduced as a novel parameterization of step selection functions (SSFs) to evaluate how animals choose habitat based on energetic considerations. The ESF framework combines the energetic consequences of movement and resource selection, providing a key mechanism for habitat selection analysis.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jonathan R. Potts, Valeria Giunta, Mark A. Lewis
Summary: This research investigates the impacts of inter-population interactions on the spatio-temporal distributions of ecosystems, through stochastic individual-based modeling and mathematical analysis, categorizing emergent patterns and demonstrating how environmental features and between-population interactions can lead to different spatial distribution predictions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Samuel M. Fischer, Pouria Ramazi, Sean Simmons, Mark S. Poesch, Mark A. Lewis
Summary: Managing invasive species and pathogens requires accurate information about potential vectors' traffic. Mobile app data provides new opportunities to improve estimates and analyze vector preferences' impact on propagule flows. However, data reported voluntarily via apps may lack trip records, posing uncertainty. We show how to overcome this drawback and use app-based data to build a stochastic model for angler traffic, improving accuracy and addressing the problem of missing trip records.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ronald E. Batallas, Maya L. Evenden
Summary: There are currently no reliable methods to monitor the population densities of cutworms and armyworms in Canadian field crops. The use of food-based semiochemicals and volatiles can enhance the monitoring of these pests, such as the redbacked cutworm.
Article
Entomology
Flavio Preti, Leah Flaherty, Maya L. Evenden
Summary: Host affiliation and entomopathogenic infections have significant effects on the population dynamics of the forest tent caterpillar (FTC). In this study, we investigated the tritrophic interaction among larval diet, larval microsporidian infection, and FTC life history traits. The results showed that microsporidian infection and larval diet individually affect the FTC life history traits, but there is no interactive effect between them.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Zahra Hajati, Antonia Musso, Zachary Weller, Maya Evenden, Jaime G. Wong
Summary: The Mountain Pine Beetle, a destructive pest in Western North America, has expanded its range and population due to climate change. Understanding its flight mechanics helps predict its spread. Research shows significant differences in flight performance between sexes and age groups of beetles.
Article
Entomology
Alan Ma, Alex Cui, Zahra Hajati, Maya Evenden, Jaime G. Wong
Summary: The study of insect flight is important for conservation and sustainability efforts. Flight mills are valuable tools for measuring insect flight factors, but the uncertainty of friction needs to be addressed. This study presents a simple method using videography to characterize flight mill friction.
PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)