People

Biology of bark beetles (Scolytidae) and subterranean termites (Reticulitermes spp.), insect host selection behavior, insect pheromones, use of behavior-modifying chemicals in forest pest management, forest entomology, pathogen/tree/bark beetle interactions. See my website for more information.

Fall 2012 Update

I continue to guide freshman seminars each semester. These bright and motivated students are our best hope for a sustainable environment! We still have funding for our research on pitch canker of pines and sudden oak death, both destructive introduced forest pathogens. We plan to initiate large-scale vegetation removal experiments in Monterey Pine forests on Pebble Beach Co. properties this spring. In small scale studies we learned that poison oak, huckleberry, manzanita and grass prevent MP regeneration. Our goal is to increase MP regeneration so that pitch canker can kill susceptible seedlings making way for a "resistant" forest. Our team has discovered resistance in coast live oaks to the SOD pathogen and that certain phenolics are associated with susceptibility to this pathogen. This is a very encouraging finding for forest management in the presence of this disease. I am working with a Forest Service team on a very promising anti-attractant treatment for bark beetles. In our recent experiments we demonstrated reduced tree mortality in plots treated with an aerial application of this compound. These studies are ongoing. We all hope for less budget cutting this year!

Projects

Pitch Canker Pathogen/Insect/Tree Interactions (with Professors Thomas R. Gorden, UCD, Professors P. Bonello and Daniel A. Herms, The Ohio State University and Professor Andrew J. Storer, Michigan Technological University) Sudden Oak Death 1) progression of symptoms; 2) impact on oak woodlands; and 3) the role of insects (with Dr. Richard B. Standiford, Dr. N. Maggie Kelly, UCCE; Professor Gregory S. Biging, UCB; Professor P. Bonello, The Ohio State University; and Professor David M. Rizzo, UCD) Influence of fire and mechanical treatments Influence of fire and mechanical treatments on insects and diseases of the mixed conifer forests of the western Sierra Nevada (with Professor Scott Stephens, UCB and Professor Andrew J. Storer, MTU) Bark Beetles Evaluating new techniques for application of anti-aggregation pheromones for protecting conifers from attacks by bark beetles in the western US (with Dr. Nancy E. Gillette, Pacific SW Research Station, USDA, FS)