Alexandra Whitney

Across spatial scales, changes in ecosystem functioning can mean radical alteration of ecosystem processes. Insect population explosions are among the possible outcomes with immediate and direct effects on the landscape. When large scale deforestation for agriculture (change in function) resulted in desertification (change in ecosystem processes) in northern China, vast tracts of land were reforested with a monoculture of poplars. An indigenous species of wood boring beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) quickly gained traction and transformed the landscape yet again as populations exploded. Within the span of 6 years, an estimated 142 million trees were destroyed in a single province.

The global transit of goods associated with international commerce has been a principle vector for the introduction of alien invasive species. In the U.S., the Asian longhorned beetle has been prominent among recent insect arrivals, thought to have traveled in larval form within the wood used for the manufacture of shipping pallets in China. The subsequent emergence and dispersal of adult beetles have meant costly eradication efforts and significant alterations to the urban landscapes of New York, Chicago and New Jersey. The recent discovery of the beetle in Worcester, Massachusetts has broadened concern, with the threat of outbreak leading to infestation in this heavily forested region.

The burden of eradication costs has motivated recent research on the biology and life cycle development of the insect, with timing of adult emergence a main focus. Temperature has been shown to affect larval development and pupation timing. In my research, I am investigating the possible effect of changes in the moisture content within the heartwood of host trees on the timing of pupation. Experiments that will run across the two years ahead will simulate changes in the moisture content of timber cut for lumber and firewood and will contribute to the ongoing effort to apply knowledge of life cycle development to eradication efforts aimed at conserving ecosystem functioning.