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
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
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
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
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
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
Plant Sciences
Aziz Ullah, Jennifer G. Klutsch, Nadir Erbilgin
Summary: Intraspecific variation in conifers has been studied in terms of defense against herbivores and pathogens, showing the influence of different compounds on insects and microbes. Research on biologically relevant defense compounds among tree populations is necessary. Variation in lodgepole pine monoterpenes was characterized in a progeny trial, revealing different effects on the mountain pine beetle and its fungal symbiont. The study highlights a co-evolutionary arms-race resulting in complementary defense metabolites among pine populations to enhance tree survival.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
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
Biodiversity Conservation
Jean C. Rodriguez-Ramos, Jonathan A. Cale, James F. Cahill, Nadir Erbilgin, Justine Karst
Summary: Disturbances in forests can impact mycorrhizal fungal communities, affecting plant establishment and growth. This study found that soil transfers from late-successional forests did not alter resident fungal communities or seedling growth in disturbed stands. The presence and abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi should be assessed before considering soil transfers for forest restoration.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Javier E. Mercado, Beatriz Ortiz-Santana, Shannon L. Kay
Summary: The study found that endemic-level Jeffrey pine beetles primarily carried their mutualistic fungus while fungivorous mites primarily carried another fungus, indicating the possibility of endogenous regulation driving the population.