Please click on the image above to download a pdf copy
of the report.
This analysis of over 150 relevant studies shows that industrial logging is not the solution to forest insect outbreaks. Former U.S. Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck gives report his "highest recommendation" and calls it "the most useful publication on the topic of forests and forest pests that I have seen."
Portland, OR - On October 5, 2005 the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation released an 88-page research compilation that dispels many commonly held misconceptions about forest insect pests.
Logging
to Control Insects: The Science and Myths Behind Managing Forest Insect
"Pests." A Synthesis of Independently Reviewed Research
includes a review of relevant studies on the importance of insects to
forest function and the effectiveness of methods used to control forest
"pest" insects, and a compilation of summaries of over 150 scientific
papers and Forest Service documents.
Key findings in the report include:
- Native forest pests have been part of our forests for millennia and function as nutrient recyclers; agents of disturbance; members of food chains; and regulators of productivity, diversity, and density.
- Fire suppression and logging have led to simplified forests that may increase the risk of insect outbreaks.
- Forests with diverse tree species and age classes are less likely to develop large insect outbreaks.
- There is no evidence that logging can control bark beetles or forest defoliators once an outbreak has started.
- Although thinning has been touted as a long-term solution to controlling bark beetles, the evidence is mixed as to its effectiveness.
The report also outlines general guidelines to follow when considering
pest insects and forest management.
"The findings are very clear," said Scott Hoffman Black, executive
director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and author
of the report. "A review of over three hundred papers on the subject
reveals that logging is not the solution to forest insect outbreaks and
in the long run could increase the likelihood of epidemics."
Why this is a timely issue
The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-148) used
forest insect outbreaks as a justification for increasing logging and
limiting environmental protections. Currently, timber sales in Oregon,
Montana, Colorado, California, and other states are being promoted as
a means to control insect populations.
What others are saying about Logging to Control Insects: The Science
and Myths
Behind Managing Forest Insect "Pests."
Mike Dombeck, Chief Emeritus, U.S. Forest Service:
"Scott Hoffman Black's masterful synthesis of the state-of-the art
science in Logging to Control Insects is a must for those who care about
forests and forest management. It explodes many of the myths about logging
to control insects and demonstrates the need for forest managers to work
with and not against nature. This easy-to-use reference summarizes the
latest authoritative research about the natural interactions between forests
and forest insect pests, including what has worked to control insects
and what has not. It is the most useful publication on the topic of forests
and forest pests that I have seen and has my highest recommendation."
About the Author
Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the Xerces Society, has degrees
in ecology, horticultural plant science, and entomology. He has written
many scientific and popular publications and co-authored several reports
on forest management, including Ensuring the Ecological Integrity of the
National Forests in the Sierra Nevada and Restoring the Tahoe Basin Forest
Ecosystem.
About the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the diversity of life
through the conservation of invertebrates. Though they are indisputably
the most important creatures on earth, invertebrates are an overlooked
segment of our ecosystems. Many people can identify an endangered Bengal
tiger, but few can identify an endangered Salt Creek Tiger beetle. The
Society works to change that. For more than three decades, Xerces has
been at the forefront of invertebrate conservation, harnessing the knowledge
of highly regarded scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement
conservation and education programs across the globe.
Xerces' programs focus on the conservation of pollinator insects, the
protection of endangered invertebrates, aquatic invertebrate monitoring,
and the conservation of invertebrates on public lands. The Xerces Society
also has produced many publications that help the public take direct action
to protect and restore habitat supporting invertebrates and other wildlife.