Insect Ecology in Forest Ecosystems

Forest ecosystems are facing unprecedented pressures from climate warming, land-use changes, pollution or biological invasions. These pressures have profound impacts on insect biodiversity, distribution, and interactions. Global insect declines has raised concerns about cascading effects on ecosystem services. Understanding insect ecology in forest habitats is therefore critical for both conservation biology and sustainable forest management.

This Research Topic seeks to provide an updated and interdisciplinary perspective on the multifaceted roles insects play in forests. It is driven by the urgent need to understand how insect communities respond to environmental changes, how they influence forest health, and how management practices can be adapted to promote forest conservation, resilience, and adaptive management.

The primary goal of this Research Topic is to advance our understanding of insect ecology in forest ecosystems by fostering the integration of observational, experimental, and modeling approaches. It seeks to bring together cutting-edge research that emphasizes the diversity of insect functions and their responses under environmental change. Another important goal is to highlight the conservation value of insects and promote their inclusion in forest management and biodiversity strategies.

In doing so, this Research Topic also aims to inform policy makers, forest managers, and conservation practitioners about the ecological importance of insects and how their roles can be safeguarded in a changing world.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications and other contributions covering a broad range of topics related to insect ecology in forest ecosystems, including but not limited to:

* Insect diversity and biogeography in different forest types
* Insect-plant interactions (e.g., pollination, herbivory, seed dispersal)
* Trophic interactions and food web dynamics
* Insects as indicators of forest health and environmental change
* Insect-mediated ecosystem services
* Responses of insect communities to forest management, fragmentation and restoration
* Biological invasions and pests in forest ecosystems
* Climate change effects on forest insect populations and interactions
* Conservation of forest insect biodiversity

By compiling a diverse range of studies, this collection aims to deepen scientific insights and contribute to more ecologically-informed forest policies and practices worldwide.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: change, conservation, ecosystem services, forest management, forest pests, global threats, interaction patterns and food webs

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.