Globalization & Its Consequences to Forest Insect & Disease Invasions

Dr. Andrew (“Sandy”) Liebhold, a research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service, is internationally recognized for his work on the population ecology of forest insects, and in particular his work on the ecology of insect invasions. Sandy’s research focuses on the ecology of forest insects. Part of his work focuses on understanding the population processes responsible for spatiotemporal patterns of insect outbreaks, but a larger part of his research focuses on the ecology and management of biological invasions. His work has provided new insight to the invasion pathways responsible for the global spread of non-native insect species and the socioeconomic factors driving those invasions. Sandy's work has yielded a new understanding of population processes operating during the establishment phase of invasions and new strategies for applying this information in surveillance, eradication, and barrier zone projects. Sandy's research has provided an improved understanding of how forest insect invasions alter forest ecosystems across large landscapes. Much of his current work focuses on understanding ecological and socioeconomic drivers of the biogeographic patterns of global insect invasions.