This grant will support the evaluation of the constitutive and induced defense responses of survivors versus the general population in response to real and simulated spruce beetle-fungal symbiont mass…

The University of Wisconsin–Madison received a $293,699 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Region 10 (Alaska Region) under the Forest Health Protection program (CFDA 10.680), effective September 2, 2025, through September 1, 2030. This award supports a comprehensive research evaluation of spruce beetle defense responses in Alaska forests, examining both constitutive and induced defense mechanisms in surviving trees versus the general population when exposed to real and simulated mass beetle attacks combined with fungal symbiont activity. The project will quantify how fungi-induced tree responses affect beetle fitness across resistant versus susceptible trees using an ecological stoichiometric approach.

The research outcomes will advance forest health protection capabilities by generating critical data on tree-beetle-fungal interactions that inform integrated pest management strategies and forest health monitoring protocols. This research aligns with the Forest Health Protection program's emphasis on protecting forest resources from damaging insects and developing improved forest health protection technologies, with particular relevance to Alaska's forest ecosystems and spruce beetle management priorities.

This grant will support the evaluation of the constitutive and induced defense responses of survivors versus the general population in response to real and simulated spruce beetle-fungal symbiont mass attack and quantify the impact of the fungi-induced tree response on beetle fitness in more resistant versus susceptible trees using an ecological stoichiometric approach.