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Forests
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Insects and Forest Ecosystems
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Insects and Forest Ecosystems

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecophysiology and Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2020) | Viewed by 5490

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chiara Ferracini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, I-10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
Interests: invasive exotic species; agricultural and forest insect pests; biological control; IPM strategies; agroforestry system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insect pests are one of the major biotic disturbance agents in forest ecosystems. Under normal, non-outbreak situations, they play essential roles, providing important ecosystem services. However, human-related activities, accidental introductions of exotic pest species, forest fires, diseases, and severe weather may weaken trees, facilitating insect outbreaks and leading to severe disturbance of forest ecosystems.
This Special Issue will present high-quality scientific papers, highlighting the latest developments in the research of invasive forest pests in order to increase knowledge and to promote effective management strategies.
Research carried out in controlled (laboratory) and natural environments (plantations and natural forests), as well as theoretical approaches (modeling studies) are of interest. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The role of insect pests in forest ecosystems and interactions with host plants;
  • Exotic invasive insect pests;
  • Population biology;
  • Population dynamics;
  • Intra- and interspecific competition;
  • Pest management strategies.

Original studies on the communities of bees and endangered saproxylic species in forest ecosystems are also welcome.

Dr. Chiara Ferracini
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Native and exotic forest insect pests
  • Ecosystem modeling
  • Population dynamics
  • Forest management
  • Biological control
  • Saproxylic insects

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 6552 KiB  
Article
Effect of Micromelalopha sieversi (Staudinger) Oviposition Behavior on the Transcriptome of Two Populus Section Aigeiros Clones
by Li Guo, Sufang Zhang, Fu Liu, Xiangbo Kong and Zhen Zhang
Forests 2020, 11(9), 1021; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11091021 - 22 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2193
Abstract
Research Highlights: The molecular mechanisms underlying woody plant resistance upon oviposition by herbivores remain unclear, as studies have focused on herbaceous plants. The effect of oviposition on gene expression in neighboring plants has also not been reported. Elucidating these molecular responses can help [...] Read more.
Research Highlights: The molecular mechanisms underlying woody plant resistance upon oviposition by herbivores remain unclear, as studies have focused on herbaceous plants. The effect of oviposition on gene expression in neighboring plants has also not been reported. Elucidating these molecular responses can help cultivate insect-resistant trees. Background and Objectives: Oviposition by herbivorous insects acts as an early warning signal, inducing plant resistance responses. Here, we employed poplar as a model woody plant to elucidate gene expression and the molecular mechanisms underlying plant resistance after oviposition by Micromelalopha sieversi (Staudinger) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae). Materials and Methods: The differences in gene expression of two Populus section Aigeiros clones (‘108’ (Populus × euramericana ‘Guariento’) and ‘111’ (Populus × euramericana ‘Bellotto’)) were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing of oviposited, neighboring, and control plants. Results: We obtained 304,526,107 reads, with an average length of 300 bp and a total size of 40.77 Gb. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in gene ontology terms of biological process, cellular component, and molecular function were mainly enriched in the “cell part”, “catalytic”, and “metabolic process” functions. Moreover, DEGs were mainly enriched in the following pathways: plant-pathogen interaction, linoleic acid metabolism, and cyanoamino acid metabolism (108-O vs. 108-C); metabolic pathways, photosynthesis, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, nitrogen metabolism, and linoleic acid metabolism (111-O vs. 111-C); metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (111-N vs. 111-C); no pathways were significantly enriched in 108-N vs. 108-C. Up-regulated defense genes were associated with pathogenesis-related protein function, innate immune regulation, and biological stress response, with differences in specific genes. All genes related to photosynthetic activity were significantly down-regulated in oviposited and neighboring leaves of the two clones. Conclusions: Oviposited and neighboring ‘108’ and ‘111’ plants exhibited varying degrees of resistance upon oviposition, involving the up-regulation of various defense genes, decreased photosynthesis and nutrient accumulation, and increased secondary metabolic synthesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects and Forest Ecosystems)
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12 pages, 1756 KiB  
Article
Winter Geometrid Moths in Oak Forests: Is Monitoring a Single Species Reliable to Predict Defoliation Risk?
by Lenka Sarvašová, Ján Kulfan, Miroslav Saniga, Milan Zúbrik and Peter Zach
Forests 2020, 11(3), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11030288 - 2 Mar 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2639
Abstract
Species within the group of winter moths (Geometridae) are important oak defoliators in European forests. Adults of these species emerge either in late autumn (‘autumn species’) or in early spring (‘spring species’), and caterpillars of both ‘autumn’ and ‘spring’ species appear in spring. [...] Read more.
Species within the group of winter moths (Geometridae) are important oak defoliators in European forests. Adults of these species emerge either in late autumn (‘autumn species’) or in early spring (‘spring species’), and caterpillars of both ‘autumn’ and ‘spring’ species appear in spring. The abundance of adults assessed by regular monitoring allows the prediction of the defoliation intensity in trees by caterpillars in the following spring. ‘Autumn species’ (mostly a single one, Operophtera brumata) are monitored by forestry practices as pests, whereas ‘spring species’ are often not paid any attention. We hypothesised that ‘spring species’ could also have an important share in caterpillar assemblages in oak forests. We aimed to study the proportions between ‘autumn’ and ‘spring’ species in adult and larval stages. In a xeric thermophilous oak forest in southern Slovakia, Central Europe, we collected adult moths using sticky bands set up on trunks of Quercus pubescens during the winter of 2014–2015 and caterpillars from other trees belonging to the same oak species over the following spring. We also captured caterpillars from several oak species in various areas and over different years in Slovakia and Bulgaria, and we compiled relevant literature data. ‘Spring species’ recorded from a unique forest as adults during winter and as caterpillars in the following spring were significantly more abundant than ‘autumn species.’ Moreover, ‘spring species’ from Slovakian forests, regardless of the locality, the oak species and the year of sampling, reached high proportions, mostly over 50% of individuals in caterpillar assemblages. The ‘spring species’ Agriopis leucophaearia was the most abundant, followed by the ‘autumn species’ Operophtera brumata. ‘Spring species’ accounted for more than 50% of individuals in caterpillar assemblages in the Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria) concerning one case, and they were of little importance in northern Greece. We recommend monitoring all winter moth adults (‘autumn’ and ‘spring’ species together) continuously in forestry practices, using sticky bands on oak trees from late autumn to early spring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects and Forest Ecosystems)
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