 Assessing oak susceptibility to the Red Oak Borer using d13C of tree rings in the Ozark Mountains |
| In collaboration with Dr. Fred Stephen's lab at the University of Arkansas, we are exploring the outbreak of an endemic insect, the red oak borer. This outbreak has resulted in high rates of northern red oak mortality over the past few years. Why did these forests suddenly become so susceptible to an insect normally present in far lower numbers? Examining the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of cellulose in tree rings from apparently healthy trees and those severely infested during wet and dry periods may help us understand different trees' responses to this outbreak. |