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Keyword: Dendroctonus rufipennis

Physical and chemical characteristics of blue and Engelmann spruce relative to spruce beetle host selection and colonization

Publications Posted on: September 17, 2020
Bark beetles are keystone species that can alter the structure and function of forested ecosystems, yet the mechanisms underlying host selection and successful colonization remain poorly understood for most species. Comparison of closely related tree species that vary in their susceptibility to bark beetles could provide insights into such mechanisms.

Socioecological impacts of multiple forest insect outbreaks in the Pinaleño spruce-fir forest, Arizona

Publications Posted on: August 16, 2020
Multiple high-severity insect outbreaks and wildfires dramatically altered the character of the Pinaleño high-elevation forests with notable impacts on ecosystem services. The Pinaleños are a small mountain range positioned close to large population centers, but not so close that any large industry is dependent on their resources, so regional and local impacts of the insect outbreaks to provisional resources were minor.

Canada lynx navigate spruce beetle-impacted forests

Science Spotlights Posted on: August 11, 2020
Canada lynx depend on boreal and subalpine forests that have been structured by natural disturbances for millennia.  The management conundrum is how to salvage beetle-killed trees, while also conserving this iconic species.  We instrumented Canada lynx with GPS collars to learn how they used beetle-impacted forests.  Our research informed how to balance timber salvage with species conservation.

A specialized forest carnivore navigates landscape-level disturbance: Canada lynx in spruce-beetle impacted forests

Publications Posted on: July 29, 2020
Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) occupy cold wet forests (boreal and subalpine forest) that were structured by natural disturbance processes for millennia. In the Southern Rocky Mountains, at the species’ southern range periphery, Canada lynx habitat has been recently impacted by large-scale disturbance from spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis).

Beetle pheromones and maple volatiles reduce spruce beetle attacks on spruce trees

Science Spotlights Posted on: August 21, 2019
The spruce beetle is the most significant mortality agent of spruce in western North America, and management options are limited. In cooperation with FHP partners, a novel combination of a beetle-produced pheromone (MCH) and compounds from a non-host (maple) tree (AKB) were shown to be repellent to spruce beetles. High-release rate MCH-AKB devices that are attached to live spruce can reduce spruce beetle attacks on individual trees and small groups of trees.

A test of lethal trap trees for control of spruce beetles

Publications Posted on: July 22, 2019
The spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis, can cause extensive mortality of Engelmann spruce, Picea engelmannii, during outbreaks. Endemic populations breed in the underside of downed spruces. Outbreaks often develop after blowdowns that create abundant downed trees where beetle populations can increase. Occasionally, managers practice suppression to protect high-value resources.

Evidence of compounded disturbance effects on vegetation recovery following high-severity wildfire and spruce beetle outbreak

Publications Posted on: October 25, 2017
Spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) outbreaks are rapidly spreading throughout subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains, raising concerns that altered fuel structures may increase the ecological severity of wildfires.

3-Methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one for area and individual tree protection against spruce beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) attack in the southern Rocky Mountains

Publications Posted on: September 25, 2017
We tested 3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one (MCH) and an Acer kairomone blend (AKB) as repellent semiochemicals for area and single tree protection to prevent spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby) attacks at locations in Utah and New Mexico.

Semiochemical repellents reduce spruce beetle infestations

Science Spotlights Posted on: August 23, 2017
The spruce beetle is the most significant mortality agent of spruce in western North America. Management options are limited but an effective semiochemical repellent could be economically and environmentally advantageous, compared to insecticide applications, for protection single trees and small stands.

Traumatic resin ducts as indicators of bark beetle outbreaks

Publications Posted on: August 22, 2017
The formation of traumatic resin ducts (TRDs) represents an important induced defense in woody plants that enhances oleoresin production and flow in response to environmental perturbations. In some genera (Pinus), resin ducts are copious and conspicuous; however, in others (Picea), resin ducts are relatively rare.

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