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Forest Entomology

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Our group Forest Entomology investigates forest insects in their broadest sense: ecology of potential forest pests, natural enemies, diversity of forest insects.

Research topics

Infestation dynamics of bark beetles, effect of natural enemies
Interactions between host trees and bark beetles
Recolonization of windthrow and wildfire areas by insect communities
Dependency of dead wood (saproxylic) insects on tree and stand characteristics

FURTHER INFORMATION

News

Open Master Theses

There are five open master theses in the forest entomology group:

If interested, contact Martin Gossner.

Call to participate in a global experiment

We propose a global protocol to assess human impacts on forest ecosystems using experimental microcosms. The main question we aim to address is:

How do current and future climatic conditions, forest habitat degradation and management, influence biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in water filled microcosms worldwide?

More information

Interested? Please contact Martin Gossner

The field season has started!

In March, the insect traps for the Lothar projectwere installed so that early flying insects could also be detected.

The larch tortrix is back

Nearly 40 year after the last major outbreak of the larch tortix (Zeiraphera griseana) in the Upper Engadine, large-scale defoliation of larches due to the larvae of the larch tortrix could be observed this year. Beat Wermelinger reported in Swiss television (in German).

Projects

Spectral screening for the early detection of a highly invasive beetle in Switzerland

The emergence of visible tree-stress symptoms caused by the emerald ash borer occurs only several years after its arrival and are hard to tell apart from those caused by soil drought. Here, we investigate the potential of reflectance spectroscopy as an early-warning screening tool.

LED-Arthropoda

Das Projekt quantifiziert Auswirkungen von künstlichem Nachtlicht auf Bodenarthropoden (bodenbewohnende Gliederfüsser). Die Ergebnisse ermöglichen es, Herausforderungen im Zusammenhang mit der Aussenbeleuchtung und deren Einflüsse auf die Nachtbiodiversität zu entschärfen.

FireSwitch

The projected increase in the frequency of forest fires due to climate change underlines the need for long-term studies on tree regeneration and succession after forest fires. These data serve as a basis for adaptive management and intervention plans.

Social-ecological networks

We investigate the interactions between ecological and social networks of urban green areas and derive a fully operationalized social-ecological network based on individual, empirically validated social and ecological networks as a basis to evaluate transformation pathways related to biodiversity.

INSECT - A research initiative on changes in the insect fauna in Switzerland

How are insects doing in Switzerland? What changes have there been, which are underway, what are their causes? WSL and four partner institutions are investigating these questions in the project INSECT.

SeedOpt – Genetischen Diversität der Samenernte

Mit molekulargenetischen Analysen in Samenerntebeständen der Traubeneiche wollen wir zeigen, wie sich die Ausführung der Samenernte (Anzahl beernteter Mutterbäume, räumliches Design) auf die genetische Diversität und Repräsentativität des Saatgutes auswirkt.

Opportunities for biodiversity in sustainable cities, the Urban Living Lab in Viererfeld Bern

Urbanisation is a main driver of biodiversity and ecological change, but how the process affects biodiversity is not well understood. This project on urban ecology monitors the impact of urbanisation and establishes an Urban Living Lab (ULL) for sustainable city development.

Alpine POLLinator mOnitoring - APOLLO

In einer Pilot-Studie untersuchen wir wie die Veränderung des Klimas entlang von Höhengradienten Insektengemeinschaften beeinflusst. Dabei testen wir moderne Insektenkameras und Software, mit automatischer Vermessung und Bilderkennung.

ALANex

ALANeX is an inter- and transdisciplinary project that integrates benefits of LED technology and practitioner's experiences to develop future lighting transformation pathways and guide-lines for LED outdoor lighting systems based on sound scientific evidence. To do so, we bring together light engine

MULTIBEF: Effects of multiple-stressors on B-EF relationships at multiple scales

With the MULTIBEF project, we aim at taking a holistic view to the study of B-EF relationships, and to investigate climate-change effects on complex B-EF relationships. To this end, we will take advantage of particular freshwater ecosystems tightly linked to forests: water-filled tree holes!

AMORE II: Species Monitoring of Beetles and Fungi in Spruce and Fir-Spruce Natural Forest Reserves

In this project, a species inventory of xylobiont beetles and fungi in spruce and fir-spruce natural forest reserves is carried out in comparison to managed stands. The monitoring has the aim to evaluate the effectiveness of forest reserves.

Global change effects on food webs

Food-web structure is likely affected by global change with consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In this project we study changes in food webs and nutrient fluxes in response to global change drivers in aquatic, terrestrial and interconnected habitats.

Effects of bark beetle resource pulses on woodpecker populations

The project aims to assess how the abundance of spruce bark beetles affects populations of woodpeckers. Long-term datasets on the annual amount of spruce timber infested by bark beetles and woodpecker abundance data, along with environmental variables are being used to model these relationships.

Promotion of forest insect diversity

Recommendations to preserve and promote the biodiversity of forest insects are derived from findings of various WSL projects and international research.

Patterns and processes of biological invasions in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems

Insects are among the most successful invasive species but there are surprisingly few aquatic insects that invaded freshwater ecosystems. In this collaborative project between WSL and Eawag we are analysing several international datasets to determine why insects are under-represented among aquatic i

BioDyn

Global patterns of community dynamics - how to terrestrial and aquatic systems differ?

Global blue-green richness differences

This project contributes to the Blue Green Biodiversity Research Initiative - an Eawag-WSL collaboration focusing on Biodiversity at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

HIATE: Testing the generality of biotic homogenization by human impact in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

This project contributes to the Blue Green Biodiversity Research Initiative - an Eawag-WSL collaboration focusing on Biodiversity at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

RESISTASH: Resistance mechanisms of ash to Ash dieback and the emerald ash borer

Switzerland’s ash trees are currently decimated by an invasive fungal pathogen causing the “Ash dieback” (ADB) disease. In addition, the emerald ash borer (EAB) might reach Switzerland in the near future. The joint project between WSL and IAP aims to establish a nation-wide ash monitoring that informs on the spread of ADB in Switzerland and to identify potential chemical resistance mechanisms against ADB.

Drought & beech: Effects of the 2018 summer drought on beech on the northern side of the Alps

In this project, we investigate causes for the impacts of the extreme summer drought 2018 on the vitality of beech trees in different regions of the Swiss Plateau and Jura.

NOVOMULTI

This project will test novel rapid assessment methods for capturing fine-scale variation in multitrophic interactions within a bird-insect-plant food web.

DEFENDASH

Ash is currently suffering from Ash dieback ADB and a new threat, the Emerald Ash Borer EAB, is spreading towards Central Europe. The project aims at understanding the milti-trophic interactions between different ash genotypes, ADB, EAB and its natural enemies under different climatic conditions.

Nightscapes 2019

Wir untersuchen die relativen Auswirkungen verschiedener spektraler LED-Strassenleuchten und bedarfsorientierter Beleuchtungssysteme auf acht Insekten- und Fledermaus-Artengruppen.

SURVIVASH

Testing tolerant Swiss ash trees against new pests

Biomass decomposition of Douglas fir

The influence of the Douglas fir on ecological processes in the forest has not yet been sufficiently studied. The aim of the cooperation project (HAFL, WSL, University of Göttingen) is to create the scientific basis for an evaluation of Douglas fir cultivation with regard to biomass degradation and functional biodiversity.

FORClimateS

The project aims to aggregate and synthesize existing information on different spatial and temporal scales to provide decision-makers with relevant and robust information on short- and long-term risks for forests and forest functions and on adaptation strategies under different climate futures

Ash Dieback in Switzerland

In Europe, the Ash Dieback disease caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus has led to high mortality rates of common ash. We analyze how radial growth and wood anatomical parameters influence the disease progression in trees.

Reconnaître les dendro-microhabitats: visite virtuelle immersive d'une forêt

Les dendro-microhabitats sont importants pour la biodiversité en forêt. Ce projet élabore un nouvel outil destiné aux gestionnaires forestiers, afin de les aider à identifier les dendro-microhabitats et connaître leurs rôles écologiques.

ISOWEB

Our objective is to develop a protocol to analyse food webs in deadwood using compound-specific stable isotope analyses. The applicability to track changes in foodwebs between tree species and different management types along deadwood decomposition will be tested using data from a large experiment.

Energy flux through ecological networks

One of the main drivers of the ongoing loss of biodiversity and the provisioning of important ecosystem functions is nutrient enrichment due to increased fertilizer use in agriculture and fossil fuel combustion. In this project we aim to assess energy fluxes through ecological food webs as an independent measure of ecosystem functioning on an island system in lakes in northern Sweden.

Saproxylic beetles in forest reserves

Deadwood is an essential habitat for many organisms. We investigate the saproxylic (deadwood-inhabiting) beetles and fungi in beech forest reserves and comparable managed forests.

FuncNet

We study effects of land-use in grasslands and forests on functional plant-insect networks and consequences for ecosystem processes

Impact of fuel wood piles on saproxylic beetles

In Switzerland, a strong increase in the demand for energy wood is expected for the next decades. This is likely to have a strong influence on saproxylic beetles (dependent on dead wood). On the one hand, fewer old trees and less deadwood will remain and decompose in the forest, which directly limits habitat availability for saproxylics. On the other hand, fuel wood exploitation might have indirect ecological consequences.

Wild fire and insects

In 2003 some 300 ha of forest on the hillside above Leuk burnt down. Along a horizontal gradient from within-forest to the center of the fire area and along an altitudinal gradient from 1200 to 1700 m a.s.l. we investigate the process of colonization by insects and the succession of the taxonomic and functional groups.

Distribution of red wood ants

We investigate the requirements and distribution of red wood ants in Switzerland. On each plot of the Swiss National Forest Inventory presence/absence and size of the nest mounds are recorded.

Dynamics of dead wood and saproxylic insects

Dead wood is a vital prerequisite for a quarter of all organisms living in a forest. The future intensification of forest management will pose a threat to many wood inhabiting (saproxylic) insect species. In forest reserves the formation and decay process of dead wood is quantified and the importance of micro-habitats for saproxylic beetles is investigated.

Windthrow fauna

After the devestating windstorms in 1990 (Vivian) and 1999 (Lothar) investigations were started to monitor the development and succession of the insect fauna on cleared and uncleared windthrow areas, relative to control treatments in the intact forest. Until now, insects have been sampled during 7 (Vivian) and 4 (Lothar) years.

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Publications

Staab, M.; Gossner, M.M.; Simons, N.K.; Achury, R.; Ambarlı, D.; Bae, S.; Schall, P.; Weisser, W.W.; Blüthgen, N., 2023: Insect decline in forests depends on species' traits and may be mitigated by management. Communications Biology, 6, 1: 338 (13 pp.). doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-04690-9

Neff, F.; Prati, D.; Achury, R.; Ambarlı, D.; Bolliger, R.; Brändle, M.; Freitag, M.; Hölzel, N.; Kleinebecker, T.; Knecht, A.; Schäfer, D.; Schall, P.; Seibold, S.; Staab, M.; Weisser, W.W.; Pellissier, L.; Gossner, M.M., 2023: Reduction of invertebrate herbivory by land use is only partly explained by changes in plant and insect characteristics. Ecological Monographs, 93, 2: e1571 (26 pp.). doi: 10.1002/ecm.1571

Roques, A.; Ren, L.; Rassati, D.; Shi, J.; Akulov, E.; Audsley, N.; Auger-Rozenberg, M.; Avtzis, D.; Battisti, A.; Bellanger, R.; Feddern, N.; Gossner, M.; Hölling, D.; Millar, J.G., 2023: Worldwide tests of generic attractants, a promising tool for early detection of non-native cerambycid species. NeoBiota, 84: 169-209. doi: 10.3897/neobiota.84.91096

Kriegel, P.; Vogel, S.; Angeleri, R.; Baldrian, P.; Borken, W.; Bouget, C.; Brin, A.; Bussler, H.; Cocciufa, C.; Feldmann, B.; Gossner, M.M.; Haeler, E.; Hagge, J.; Hardersen, S.; Hartmann, H.; Hjältén, J.; Kotowska, M.M.; Lachat, T.; Larrieu, L.; ... Thorn, S., 2023: Ambient and substrate energy influence decomposer diversity differentially across trophic levels. Ecology Letters, doi: 10.1111/ele.14227

Chittaro, Y.; Sanchez, A.; Szallies, A.; Gossner, M.M.; Lachat, T., 2023: On the occurrence of relict populations of Pytho abieticola J. R. Sahlberg, 1875 in Switzerland (Coleoptera, Pythidae). Alpine Entomology, 7: 1-11. doi: 10.3897/alpento.7.98799

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Staff

Forest Entomology

Prof. Dr. Martin Gossner	Groupleader, Senior Scientist
Carl-Michael Heimo Andersson	Technical staff member
Astrid Bächli	Technical staff member
Giovanna Ceppi	Trainee
Francesca Cerroti	PhD student guest
Tobia Diggelmann	Civil service employee
Bastiaan Drost	PhD student
Dr. Michael Andreas Eisenring	Scientific staff member
Dr. Nina Feddern	Visiting scientist
Dr. Andrés Garcia	Visiting scientist
Cristina Haldemann	Scientific assistant
Reto Henzmann	Civil service employee
Dr. Maja Ilic	Postdoc
Lara Indra	Visiting scientist
Julia Kappeler	Master student
Dr. Thibault Lachat	Visiting scientist
Anouchka Perret-Gentil	lab technician
José Pedro Zé Ribeiro Correia	Trainee
Caio Graco Rodriguez Leandro Roza	Visiting scientist
Dr. Thibaut Rota	Visiting scientist
Nicolas Roth	Visiting scientist
Saskia Scharl	Apprentice
Simone Emanuele Schmid	Trainee
Doris Schneider	Technical staff member
Philip Vonschallen	Civil service employee
Dr. Beat Wermelinger	Visiting scientist
Dr. Mark Wong	Visiting scientist
Veronika Zengerer	Technical staff member