AUTHOR=Showalter David N. , Raffa Kenneth F. , Sniezko Richard A. , Herms Daniel A. , Liebhold Andrew M. , Smith Jason A. , Bonello Pierluigi TITLE=Strategic Development of Tree Resistance Against Forest Pathogen and Insect Invasions in Defense-Free Space JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution VOLUME=6 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00124 DOI=10.3389/fevo.2018.00124 ISSN=2296-701X ABSTRACT=

Invasive pathogens that cause stem cankers and wilts of trees, and insects that bore into bark and wood have proven extremely destructive to the world's forests and particularly difficult to manage once established

Such pests are especially devastating when evolutionarily naïve host trees lack adequate natural defenses

Modern tree improvement programs are increasingly capable of restoring such defenses and providing trees for planting that are capable of withstanding alien insects and pathogens

Careful target selection, early implementation and sustained support of these programs are important for their success

We provide a simplified framework to guide responses to invasive insects and pathogens and rapidly identify promising pests to target for development of host resistance.