Pests on the Move: Climate Change and the Shifting Ecology of Forest Insects

Scope and Rationale:



Climate change has profoundly altered biotic and abiotic conditions and shaped forest ecosystems. Among the most dynamic and substantial biological responses are the geographic and phenological shifts observed in forest insect populations, including native and invasive pest species. These changes pose considerable challenges to forest health, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable forest management across temperate, boreal, and tropical biomes.



The current special issue aims to synthesise contemporary research on how climate change reshapes the ecology, behaviour, distribution, and population dynamics of forest insects. Emphasis will be set on pest species whose expanding ranges and altered life cycles exert novel and often intensified pressures on forest systems. Contributions are expected to address the ecological, evolutionary, and management implications of these changes, drawing from empirical research, modelling studies, bibliometric studies and conceptual syntheses.



Key themes and topics (not limited to the following):



1. Range expansions and contractions of forest insect species in response to climatic shifts



2. Altered voltinism, phenology, and life-history strategies under changing temperature and precipitation regimes



3. Interactions between climate change, host tree physiology, and insect herbivory



4. The role of extreme climatic events (e.g., droughts, precipitation) in triggering pest outbreaks



5. Adaptive responses and resilience mechanisms of forest ecosystems to mitigate pest pressures



6. Emerging invasive insect threats facilitated by climate-driven ecological opportunities



7. Importance of symbiotic associations on forest pest invasion



8. HGT as a source for forest pest invasion or range expansion success



9. Advances in forecasting models and early warning systems for climate-sensitive pest dynamics



10. Implications for forest management, silvicultural planning, and conservation policy on forest insect ecology and pest management in the Anthropocene



11. Bibliometric studies to understand current research trends on forest pests.



12. New methodologies to deal with emerging forest invasion challenges.



Target Audience:



This special issue will be of primary interest to forest entomologists, ecologists, climate scientists, pest management professionals, conservation biologists, and policymakers engaged in forest health and adaptation planning.

Article types and fees

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

• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... 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:

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

Keywords: Climate change, Ecology, Pests, Pathogens, Insects

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.