Climate, Forest Disturbance and Insect Pests

Drought and increasing temperatures can alter tree physiology and reduce tree vitality and resistance to biotic attacks. For instance, drought stress may deplete C pools available for tree defense by reducing photosynthetic activity and impairing transport of C to above- and below-ground organs. Resource limitations may also induce physical and chemical changes that alter the nutritional quality of tree tissues that in turn affect interactions between host trees, insect herbivores, microbial symbionts and natural enemies. Ultimately, the distribution and significance of insect pests in forest ecosystems are determined by the phenology, performance and mortality of species at various trophic levels, as demonstrated by, for example, the oscillations in the abundance of the larch budmoth in the Swiss Alps.

This Research Topic will provide an up-to-date overview of innovative, interdisciplinary research on interactions between climate, trees and insect pests, with a special focus on drought effects. We welcome contributions on both positive and negative effects of changing climatic conditions on insect pests, including research on invasive organisms. To cover this broad thematic field comprehensively, we welcome Original Research Articles, Review and Synthesis papers, as well as Opinions and Commentaries.