THE OVERALL GOAL FOR THIS RESEARCH IS TO DETERMINE IF CHANGES IN GLOOMY SCALE (AN URBAN INSECT PEST OF RED MAPLES AND NATIVE FOREST HERBIVORE) ABUNDANCE DUE TO URBAN WARMING REFLECT CHANGES IN NEW AND EXISTING NATURAL RANGES DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING. THIS RESEARCH WILL DOCUMENT THE VALIDITY OF USING CITIES TO PREDICT SLEEPER SPECIES (INSECT HERBIVORES WHOSE HERBIVORY REMAINS AT BACKGROUND LEVELS FOR LONG PERIODS BEFORE PROLIFERATION) AND THE NECESSITY OF INCLUDING URBAN CLIMATES IN SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MODELS (SDM). TO THIS END, THE PD WILL ESTIMATE THE GLOOMY SCALE GEOGRAPHIC RANGE IN NATURAL AND URBAN AREAS AND GENERATE SDMS TO PREDICT SUITABLE PEST HABITAT UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS AND FUTURE WARMING (USING PREVIOUS PD RESEARCH ON GLOOMY SCALE THERMAL TOLERANCE). THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE SCIENCE THROUGH IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH THAT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND THE MORE ABOUT NATIVE HERBIVORES BECOMING PESTS. THIS INFORMATION WILL IMPROVE OUR PREDICTIONS OF FUTURE FOREST PESTS, AND, THUS, FUTURE TREE HEALTH AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT WILL INFORM FOREST MANAGEMENT, ALL OF WHICH WILL BENEFIT THE USDA AFRI FARM BILL PRIORITY AREA: PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS.

Engineers, U.S. Army Corps Of

Investigators