The southern U.S. has seen increasing interest in hardwood tree plantations. About 200,000 acres of such plantations currently exist. Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, is one of the principle species used due to its wide site adaptability, relative pest resistance, and wood/fiber properties. While having a high degree of native pest resistance sweetgum remains susceptible to defoliation by the outbreak species gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, and forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria among others. There are two overall objectives to the work presented. First, to understand the growth response of young field grown sweetgum to defoliation. Second, to understand the behavioral and developmental interactions of the forest tent caterpillar with foliage from 16 sweetgum families. The work reported here is conducted within an integrated plantation research and genetic tree improvement effort by the NC State Hardwood Research Cooperative (HRC) and its members. Genotypic families used in this work are the focus of detailed ecophysiological studies among the nearly 400 families in the tree improvement program, and field work is within the context of intensively managed plantations (rotation lengths of 15-20 years for pulp wood).
Species 1: Lepidoptera Lasiocampiidae Malacosoma disstria (forest tent caterpillar)
Keywords: Sweetgum, Behavioral Preference/Devlopmental Performance
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA