Bark water storage capacity influences epiphytic orchid preference for host trees

Ecological Interactions of Bark Beetles with Host Trees

Certain species of bark beetles in the insect order Coleoptera, family Curculionidae (formerly Scolytidae), are keystone species in forest ecosystems. However, the tree-killing and wood-boring bark and ambrosia beetles are also among the most damaging insects of forest products including lumber, paper, and ornamental/recreational trees. The pest status of these beetles has been elevated with th...

Effects of epiphytic lichens on host preference of the vascular epiphyte Tillandsia usneoides

We investigated the potential for nonvascular epiphytic species (primarily lichens) to affect the quality of different host tree species for the vascular epiphyte Tillandsia usneoides in the southeastern USA. Different host tree species had substantially different abundances of Tillandsia, and these abundances were correlated with the composition of nonvascular epiphyte communities. In greenhou...

Two strategies by epiphytic orchids for maintaining water balance: thick cuticles in leaves and water storage in pseudobulbs

Epiphytes are an important component of tropical and subtropical flora, and serve vital ecological functions in forest hydrology and nutrient fluxes. However, they often encounter water deficits because there is no direct contact between their roots and the soil. The strategies employed by epiphytes for maintaining water balance in relatively water-limited habitats are not completely understood...

Ionic identity of pore water influences pH preference in Collembola

An encounter rate model of bark beetle populations searching at random for susceptible host trees

Iterative equations were developed that predict the encounter rate between a population of moving animals and a population of stationary objects, where the animals cease to search upon finding an object. The encounter rate through time depends on the number of searching animals (bark beetles), number of stationary objects (host trees), average speed of the animals, average radius of the object,...