Changes in forest insect community structure following pre-commercial thinning for biofuel production

Utilizing forest biomass to produce biofuels will increase opportunities to maintain tree vigor and resistance to wildfire, drought, insect pests and disease.  However, excessive biomass removal will degrade site quality by removing detritus and its contained energy (carbon) and other nutrients that are vital to soil productivity and genetic diversity.  One goal of our work is to assess the impact of small diameter tree removal from forest thinning operations on the overall community of invertebrates present on the sites, focusing on measures of abundance and diversity.  To accomplish this objective, we have installed monitoring plots in stand thinning operations.  The plots include various levels of biomass retention with fertilizer and/or biochar amendments.  Possible cascading effects of removing different levels of biomass and amendment treatments on insect communities are being evaluated.  Our work emphasizes changes in the on-site beetle (Coleoptera) and ant (Hymenoptera) communities.  To date, the most common genera of ants on the sites are Camponotus (carpenter ants) and Formica (thatch ants).  Two of the more common families of beetles that we are evaluating are the Curculionidae (which includes the bark beetles) and the Buprestidae (metallic wood-boring beetles).