Assessing the diversity and spatial structure of Forest Tent Caterpillar parasitoid communities in Eastern Canadian deciduous forests

Project Description

This project was developed in response to questions from maple syrup producers in Quebec and New Brunswick concerned about potential effects of an on-going forest tent caterpillar (FTC) outbreak on reductions and sap and eventual tree mortality. Both growers and provincial managers are interested in which FTC parasitoid species are present in eastern Canadian forests, and how different forest management strategies might affect the frequency and magnitude of future FTC outbreaks. We will collaborate with grower organizations (PPAQ, NB MSA), provincial resource managers (NB DNR, MNRF, MAPAQ) and a conservation organization (WWF Canada) to quantify the diversity and spatial structure of FTC parasitoid communities in sugar maple forests of eastern Canada, and to develop concrete products to help our partners translate these findings into management actions.

Principal Investigator

Collaborators