This study compares nematode prevalence in upland rice fields, which differed in cropping intensity, in Ùlree agroecological zones of Ivory Coast. Eighty nematode species from 35 genera were found associated with rice. Population densities of Helicorylenchus spp. were significantly lower in long fallows in the forest zone, but the mean population densities of ail other nematode genera and speci...

We tested whether a general spread model could capture macroecological patterns across all damaging invasive forest pests in the United States. We showed that a common constant dispersal kernel model, simulated from the discovery date, explained 67.94% of the variation in range size across all pests, and had 68.00% locational accuracy between predicted and observed locational distributions. Fur...

BACKGROUND The transportation of camp firewood infested by non-native forest pests such as Asian long-horned beetle (ALB) and emerald ash borer (EAB) has severe impacts on North American forests. Once invasive forest pests are established, it can be difficult to eradicate them. Hence, preventing the long-distance transport of firewood by individuals is crucial. METHODS Here we develop a stoch...

The growing demand for reducing chemical inputs in agriculture and increased resistance to insecticides have provided great impetus to the development of alternative forms of insect-pest control. Myco-biocontrol offers an attractive alternative to the use of chemical pesticides. Myco-biocontrol agents are naturally occurring organisms which are perceived as less damaging to the environment. The...

ROBERT E SCHARPF is project leader, forest disease research, with headquarters in Berkeley, Calif. He earned a bachelor's degree in forestry (1953) at the University of Missouri, and a master's degree in forestry (1957) and a doctorate in plant pathology (1963) at the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the Forest Service in 1960 and has been with the Station's staff since then. He ea...

In recent years, next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have helped to improve our understanding of the bacterial communities associated with insects, shedding light on their wide taxonomic and functional diversity. To date, little is known about the microbiota of lepidopterans, which includes some of the most damaging agricultural and forest pests worldwide. Studying their microbiota co...

is not a guarantor of lessened risk; diverse, multiple-species stands themselves are not immune to devastating attack by introduced pests, a situation likely to increase in frequency as a result of globalization of trade in timber products. Often the practices associated with intensive management are the causes of insect and disease problems. For example, the desire to maximize wood production ...