NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in China

Becker Miles E, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Miles Becker of University of Nevada, Reno to conduct a research project in Biological Sciences during the summer of 2013 at the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenyang, China. The project title is "Warming Temperatures and the Density of a Forest Defoliating Insect in northeastern China." The host scientist is Professor YANG Jian. Boreal forests comprise 32% of the world's forests and they are an important global carbon sink and provider of timber and forest products. Milder winters and drought stress in trees from climate change may facilitate insect pest outbreaks that lead to high rates of tree mortality. The role of temperatures in insect outbreaks is relatively unknown in the northeastern forests of China, and a remote sensing system to monitor and predict outbreaks there is largely undeveloped. This study is exploring the relationship between temperature, insect abundance, and tree health to validate a regional pest monitoring program for long-term forest management and conservation. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, the student and host researcher will co-author a publication on forest disturbances in an international journal and present the results of the project at a forest ecology conference to help managers protect a valuable natural resource.