Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests
Forest ecosystems provide invaluable ecological, economic, and social benefits, making them essential for global well-being. However, these ecosystems face various threats, including biological invasions by alien species. Among these, the oak lace bug (OLB), an invasive North American insect, has ra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1326929/full |
| _version_ | 1797362235527397376 |
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| author | Flavius Bălăcenoiu Constantin Nețoiu Dragoș Toma Dragoș Toma Ion Cătălin Petrițan |
| author_facet | Flavius Bălăcenoiu Constantin Nețoiu Dragoș Toma Dragoș Toma Ion Cătălin Petrițan |
| author_sort | Flavius Bălăcenoiu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forest ecosystems provide invaluable ecological, economic, and social benefits, making them essential for global well-being. However, these ecosystems face various threats, including biological invasions by alien species. Among these, the oak lace bug (OLB), an invasive North American insect, has rapidly spread in Europe, impacting oak forests and raising concerns about its adaptation to new environments. OLB feeds on the undersides of oak leaves, extracting sap and causing chlorotic discoloration. Severe infestations lead to premature defoliation, increased susceptibility to diseases or pests and can also result in a substantial reduction in photosynthesis activity. This study aims to analyse OLB’s invasive behaviour in Romanian forest ecosystems, with a specific focus on the differences between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests. The analysis covers 6 years of data and reveals critical insights. In the initial 4 years, OLB predominantly inhabited the extracarpathian regions of Romania, with concentrated presence in the southern, western, and northwestern areas. Forest ecosystems mainly affected between 2017 and 2020 were characterized by thermophilous oak forests in southern and western regions. However, in the last 2 years (2021–2022), OLB presence increased, particularly in lowland ecosystems, albeit with reduced damage intensity. The analysis also unveiled an adaptation and expansion of OLB in mesophilous forest ecosystems. Climatic factors, specifically temperature and precipitation, significantly influenced OLB’s behaviour, points with severe attacks exhibiting specific climatic conditions. In summary, this study provides crucial insights into OLB’s behaviour, emphasizing the role of climatic and environmental factors in its invasive tendencies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:05:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d7cf98e32bd4af2be9747f9b4cb7006 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-893X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:05:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d7cf98e32bd4af2be9747f9b4cb70062024-01-08T06:22:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Forests and Global Change2624-893X2024-01-01610.3389/ffgc.2023.13269291326929Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forestsFlavius Bălăcenoiu0Constantin Nețoiu1Dragoș Toma2Dragoș Toma3Ion Cătălin Petrițan4National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Dracea”, Voluntari, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Dracea”, Voluntari, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Dracea”, Voluntari, RomaniaFaculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brașov, Brașov, RomaniaFaculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brașov, Brașov, RomaniaForest ecosystems provide invaluable ecological, economic, and social benefits, making them essential for global well-being. However, these ecosystems face various threats, including biological invasions by alien species. Among these, the oak lace bug (OLB), an invasive North American insect, has rapidly spread in Europe, impacting oak forests and raising concerns about its adaptation to new environments. OLB feeds on the undersides of oak leaves, extracting sap and causing chlorotic discoloration. Severe infestations lead to premature defoliation, increased susceptibility to diseases or pests and can also result in a substantial reduction in photosynthesis activity. This study aims to analyse OLB’s invasive behaviour in Romanian forest ecosystems, with a specific focus on the differences between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests. The analysis covers 6 years of data and reveals critical insights. In the initial 4 years, OLB predominantly inhabited the extracarpathian regions of Romania, with concentrated presence in the southern, western, and northwestern areas. Forest ecosystems mainly affected between 2017 and 2020 were characterized by thermophilous oak forests in southern and western regions. However, in the last 2 years (2021–2022), OLB presence increased, particularly in lowland ecosystems, albeit with reduced damage intensity. The analysis also unveiled an adaptation and expansion of OLB in mesophilous forest ecosystems. Climatic factors, specifically temperature and precipitation, significantly influenced OLB’s behaviour, points with severe attacks exhibiting specific climatic conditions. In summary, this study provides crucial insights into OLB’s behaviour, emphasizing the role of climatic and environmental factors in its invasive tendencies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1326929/fullbiological invasionsforest healthoak forestshabitat disruptionecological resilience |
| spellingShingle | Flavius Bălăcenoiu Constantin Nețoiu Dragoș Toma Dragoș Toma Ion Cătălin Petrițan Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests Frontiers in Forests and Global Change biological invasions forest health oak forests habitat disruption ecological resilience |
| title | Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests |
| title_full | Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests |
| title_fullStr | Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests |
| title_short | Invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems: a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests |
| title_sort | invasive behaviour of oak lace bug in forest ecosystems a comparative analysis between thermophilous and mesophilous oak forests |
| topic | biological invasions forest health oak forests habitat disruption ecological resilience |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1326929/full |
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