Forest Entomology Quiz

Forest Ecology and Insects

• Forests are home to a diverse range of organisms, including insects.
• The study of forest insects is known as forest entomology.

Insects' Roles in Forest Ecosystems

• Insects play important roles in forests, including serving as food for wildlife, pollinating plants, and preying on forest pests.
• Some insects cause significant damage to forests, reducing tree growth rates, transmitting diseases, and weakening trees.

Invasive Insect Species

• Many forest insect pests are introduced from other countries and have become invasive species.
• These invasive species have no natural predators, contributing to their destructive impact.

Classification of Insect Pests

• Insect pests can be classified by the type of damage they cause.
• Each insect species has a preferred part of the tree on which it feeds.

Defoliators

• Defoliators eat a tree's leaves or needles, stripping them from entire stands of trees.
• Without leaves or needles, trees cannot make the sugar they need to grow.
• Heavy infestations of defoliators can:
  • Slow the growth rate of deciduous trees after one year of defoliation.
  • Kill deciduous trees after several years of defoliation.
  • Kill evergreen trees after just one year of defoliation.

Example of a Defoliator

• The spongy moth is an example of a defoliator insect.