Modelling the spread of infectious diseases in forest systems

与森林有关的虫害和疾病的重要性从未如此之大，其爆发具有高度破坏性，有证据表明其传播范围和影响更大，新的生物体正在引入，气候和宿主的变化加剧了既定的威胁。除了实地考察和实验，理论模型可以提供关键的见解传染病如何传播，但森林生态系统的空间结构的性质提出了关键的建模挑战。在这个项目中，我们将开发数学和计算模型，以了解森林生态系统内的传染病的动态。博士项目的挑战将是将重要的现实世界的细节纳入模型，例如：-疾病和树木生活史特征的季节性，-野火等周期性干扰，以及不同的疾病控制策略，-社区结构

The importance of pests and diseases associated with forests has never been greater, with highly damaging outbreaks, evidence of greater spread and impact, new organisms being introduced, and established threats exacerbated by changes in climate and host availability. Alongside fieldwork and experiments, theoretical models can provide key insights into how infectious diseases spread, but the spatially-structured nature of forest ecosystems presents key modelling challenges.In this project we will develop mathematical and computational models to understand the dynamics of infectious disease within forest ecosystems. The challenge of the PhD project will be to include vital real-world details into models, for example:- seasonality in both the disease and tree life-history traits,- periodic disturbances such as wildfires, and different disease control strategies,- community structure