
Forest Entomology
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Head:Dr. Martin Gossner
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:
- Interaction between an invasive fungus and a beetle on ash
- Forensic entomology
- Phytothelmata in Dipsacus fullonum
- Insect predation
- Relevance of ash volatiles for ash-beetle interactions
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?
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).
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
Showing only the newest 5 publications
Staff
Forest Entomology
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lab technician | |
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Apprentice | |
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