Forest Insects in Europe: Diversity, Functions and Importance

CHOICE Highly Recommended title, 2022!

Forest insects play important roles ecologically and economically. They pollinate plants, decompose dead plant and animal tissue, provide food for vertebrates, regulate pest organisms and shape entire landscapes. Some are considered pests, while others provide usable products. Introduced species may become invasive, while the survival of others is threatened.

Forest Insects in Europe: Diversity, Functions and Importance has been written not only with professional entomologists in mind, but also for nature lovers generally. The descriptions of the various roles insects play in forest ecosystems are intended to be easily comprehensible, but still scientific. The book is richly illustrated with attractive photos and contains 580 fascinating colour images of more than 300 different insect and spider species. The German edition was awarded the Prix Moulines by the Swiss Entomological Society in 2019.

Beat Wermelinger, Dr. sc. nat. ETH, biologist, Adliswil. Head of the research group. Forest entomology at the Federal Research Institute for Forests, Snow and Landscape (WSL), Birmensdorf. Research focus: bark beetles and natural enemies, Biodiversity, windthrow succession, climate change and neozoa. Lecturer at the Federal Technical University ETH Zurich and the Swiss Tree Care Federation.