Ecology and management of emerging forest pest complexes

树皮甲虫是温带森林中最重要的害虫之一。随着山松甲虫（MPB）从不列颠哥伦比亚省蔓延到阿尔伯塔省，它有可能入侵加拿大西部的杰克松（JP）森林。随着全球气候变化预计将促使北纬和高海拔地区冬季气温变暖，这种入侵的可能性增加了。如果MPB成功入侵并在JP森林中生存，它可能会蔓延到整个加拿大，并在整个北方森林中造成严重的生态和经济问题。作为加拿大森林昆虫学研究主席，在我的研究项目中，我将使用MPB作为模型系统来研究昆虫入侵一个新的生态系统。这些调查是及时的，因为潜在的MPB入侵JP森林可以为昆虫入侵新的栖息地和宿主提供许多新的见解。MPB系统与JP系统历史生境的根本区别在于存在严重的落叶虫——刺松budworm （JPB）和chistoneura pinus pinus (Lep: Tortricidae)，而JP系统中没有树皮甲虫暴发种。在拟议的项目中，我和我的学生将评估jp - mpb - jp相互作用的几个方面。我们将重点研究与MPB和JP相关的真菌之间的相互作用，因为真菌对MPB的生存和建立很重要。我们还将研究MPB和JPB之间的相互作用，因为这两个物种可能会在同一棵树上相互作用，尽管MPB会发生在茎上，而JPB会发生在叶上。植物化学防御将作为影响MPB-JP-JPB相互作用结果的可能机制进行评估，因为化学防御是针叶树抵御食草动物和真菌的重要机制。深入了解MPB入侵对JP森林系统的影响将是本项目的重要贡献。这样的认识对于阐明JP系统对MPB的总体结构和行为具有重要意义，对JP森林MPB病虫害综合治理的发展具有重要意义。

Bark beetles are some of the most important pests of temperate forests. As the mountain pine beetle (MPB) has spread from British Columbia into Alberta, there is possibility that it will invade to the jack pine (JP) forest in western Canada. The probability of this invasion has increased as global climate changes is expected to promote warmer winter temperatures in northerly latitudes and higher elevations. If MPB successfully invades and survives in JP forest, it may spread across Canada and cause serious ecological and economical problems throughout the boreal forests. As a Canada Research Chair in Forest Entomology, in my research program, I will use MPB as a model system to study an insect invasion into a new ecosystem. Such investigations are timely because potential MPB invasion of JP forest could provide many new insights about insect invasion into a new habitat and host. The fundamental difference between the historical habitat of MPB and JP system is the presence of a serious defoliator, jack pine budworm (JPB), Choristoneura pinus pinus (Lep: Tortricidae), and absence of outbreak species of bark beetles in the JP system. In the proposed project, my students and I will evaluate several aspects of JP-MPB-JPB interactions. We will focus on the interactions between fungi associated with MPB and JP because fungi are important on MPB survival and establishment. We will also investigate interactions between MPB and JPB because both species will likely to interact on the same tree, although MPB will occur on stem and JPB will occur on foliage. Plant chemical defenses will be evaluated as possible mechanisms that influence the outcome of MPB-JP-JPB interactions because chemical defenses are important mechanisms for conifers against herbivores and fungi. Developing deeper understandings of how MPB invasion would affect the JP forest system will be important contribution of this project. Such understanding is important to elucidate the general structure and behavior of the JP system against MPB and will be critical for the development of the integrated pest management of MPB in the JP forest.