Forest Insect Population Dynamics, Outbreaks, and Global Warming Effects

This new approach to insect modeling discusses population dynamics' regularities, control theory, theory of transitions, and describes methods of population dynamics and outbreaks modeling for forest phyllophagous insects and their effects on global climate change.

Research in insect population dynamics is important for more reasons than just protecting forest communities. Insect populations are among the main ecological units included in the analysis of stability of ecological systems. Moreover, it is convenient to test new methods of analyzing population and community stability on the insect-related data, as by now ecologists and entomologists have accumulated large amounts of such data. In this book, the authors analyze population dynamics of quite a narrow group of insects – forest defoliators. It is hoped that the methods proposed herein for the analysis of population dynamics of these species may be useful and effective for analyzing population dynamics of other animal species and their effects and role in global warming.

What can insects tell us about our environment and our ever-changing climate? It is through studies like this one that these important answers can be obtained, along with data on the insects and their behaviors themselves. The authors present new theories on modeling and data accumulation, using cutting-edge processes never before published for such a wide audience. This volume presents the state-of-the-art in the science, and it is an essential piece of any entomologist's and forest engineer's library.

Alexander S. Isaev, D.Sc. (Biology), Moscow; Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). The author of more than 300 published studies, including over 20 monographs on forest ecology and forest entomology. Awards: Gold Medal of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), V.N. Sukachev Medal of RAS, and IUFRO George Varley Award for Excellence in Forest Insect Research.

Vladislav G. Soukhovolsky, D.Sc. (Biophysics), Professor, Krasnoyarsk. An expert in mathematical modeling of complex biological, ecological, social, and political systems. The author of over 500 published studies, including 16 monographs.

Olga V. Tarasova, D.Sc. (Agriculture), Professor, Krasnoyarsk. An expert in forest entomology. The author of over 150 published studies, including six monographs. Award: V.I. Vernadsky Award for Excellence in Ecological Education.

Elena N. Palnikova, D.Sc. (Agriculture), Professor, Krasnoyarsk. An expert in forest entomology. The author of over 100 published studies, including two monographs.

Anton V. Kovalev, Ph.D. (System Analysis), Krasnoyarsk. An expert in system analysis of ecological processes. The author of over 100 published studies, including one monograph.