INRA Orléans - Forestry Zoology

Director : Alain Roques
Subdirector : Sylvie Augustin

Secrétary : Dominique Faret
Email : urzf@orleans.inra.fr

The lab of Forestry Zoology studies the mechanisms underlying insect expansion caused by human activity and environmental changes, especially global warming.

The main aims are :

to analyse the mechanisms responsible for the success of biological invasions ;
to study the genetics, physiology and behaviour of insect populations expanding with global warming or newly introduced in Europe
to estimate the ecological and economical risks of invasive species and design management programs

The team staff involves 17 permanents, of which 7 scientists, 3 research assistants and 7 technicians.

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The main themes of URZF research are:

Genetics of native and non-native insects

Study of genetic diversity of insects using molecular markers
Phylogeography of insects and their host plants
Assessment of risks of hybridization between alien and native insect fauna
Conservation genetics of endangered forest insects
Population genetics of cyclic forest insects
DNA barcoding of invasive and non-native insect species

Biology of insect populations expanding with global warming or newly introduced in Europe

Comparative analysis of fitness between expanding populations and these of the area of origin
Study of ecological factors controlling host shifts
Analysis of the competition between invasive and native species.

Mathematical modelling, prediction, risk assessment and management of insect invasions

Modelling of the spatio-temporal development of insect expansion
Assessment of ecosystem vulnerability to invasion
Measurement of the ecological impacts of non-native species
Definition of early detection techniques for newly introduced invaders
Management of widespread invasive species

Inventory of the alien invertebrates present in Europe and of potential insect invaders from Asia

Management of the database of invertebrates alien to Europe in the European project DAISIE “Delivering Alien Invasive Inventories for Europe”
URZF participates to several other European projects presently dealing with biological invasions and consequences of global warming on insect populations (ALARM «Assessing large-scale environmental risks with tested methods”; FORETHREATS “ European network on emerging diseases and invasive species threats to European Forest Ecosystems”).

Models include:

The processionary pine moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa, Lep Notodontidae)
The horse chest nut leafminer (Cameraria ohridella, Lep. Gracillariidae)
The larch bud moth (Zeiraphera griseana, Lep. Tortrycidae)
Cone and seed insects
The endangered wild silk moth Graellsia isabellae (Lep. Saturniidae) and the endangered populations of incense-juniper (Juniperus thurifera)

See also

Forestry Zoology (URZF)

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