As private lands in the South are increasingly being managed on shorter rotations and with greater intensity, public lands, in contrast, are being relied on more for maintenance of biological and genetic diversity. Critical issues associated with this evolving role include conservation of rate, threatened, and endangered species, and restoration and maintenance of ecosystems. Our forests have undergone considerable changes since Europeans first arrived in North America. They have been cleared, farmed, and then returned to forests, prevented from burning, invaded by exotic species, and often replanted with species not suited to the sites. Although these practices and changes have had profound visible effects on forest communities, we are only beginning to understand the more subtle changes that have taken place.
Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on earth.
They play critical roles in the biology and ecology of forest ecosystems. These roles include pollinating flowering plants, serving as critical components of the forest food web, and decomposing woody debris and leaf litter. However, the ways in which our changing forests and forest management practices have affected insect communities and their abilities to carry out these roles are not understood. To effectively manage southern forest ecosystems, more information is needed on the interactions of land use and forest management practices with arthropods and microbes of southern forests. For further information on our studies in Insect Ecology, visit Hanula's Web Site .