Winter moth, Operophtera brumata L. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), has been defoliating hardwood trees in eastern Massachusetts since the 1990s. Native to Europe, winter moth has also been detected in Rhode Island, Connecticut, eastern Long Island (NY), New Hampshire, and Maine. Individual tree impacts of winter moth defoliation in New England are currently unknown. Using dendroecological techniques, this study related annual radial growth of individual host (Quercus spp. and Acer spp.) trees to detailed defoliation estimates. Winter moth defoliation was associated with up to a 47% reduction in annual radial growth of Quercus trees. Latewood production of Quercus was reduced by up to 67% in the same year as defoliation, while earlywood production was reduced by up to 24% in the year following defoliation. Winter moth defoliation was not a strong predictor of radial growth in Acer species. This study is the first to document impacts of novel invasions of winter moth into New England.

not have been able to get off the ground. First, I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Thomas Lee, for his invaluable insight, guidance, and motivation throughout both this project and my graduate career. It was through Dr. Lee's passion for the environment that I cultivated mine further, and I couldn't be more grateful. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Mark Ducey and Michael Simmons, for the level of effort they provided for this project. Their assistance allowed for me to develop this project into one that I am proud to have completed. There is not enough praise that I could give to my research assistants, Hannah McCarthy and Riley Bibaud, to account for my level of appreciation for them. Their devotion to this research and their drive in the field was unmatched, and I couldn't have asked for a stronger team. It was because of their positive energy that the field season was a success. I would also like to thank Jenna O'del for her assistance in the field and Nick Warren for his generosity in lending drying ovens. I am also grateful to Steve Eisenhaure for his assistance throughout the summer by providing accessibility to my sites. I would like to thank Suzanne Hebert, Thomas Buob, and Hailee Whitesel for their handling of my many soil samples.

Diplodia tip blight is the most ubiquitous and abundant disease in Spanish Pinus radiata plantations. The economic losses in forest stands can be very severe because of its abundance in cones and seeds together with the low genetic diversity of the host. Pinus resinosa is not genetically diverse in North America either, and Diplodia shoot blight is a common disease. Disease control may require management designs to be adapted for each region. The genetic diversity of the pathogen could be an indicator of its virulence and spreading capacity. Our objective was to understand the diversity of Diplodia spp. in Spanish plantations and to compare it with the structure of American populations to collaborate in future management guidelines. Genotypic diversity was investigated using microsatellite markers. Eight loci (SS9–SS16) were polymorphic for the 322 isolates genotyped. The results indicate that Diplodia sapinea is the most frequent Diplodia species present in plantations of the north of Spain and has high genetic diversity. The higher genetic diversity recorded in Spain in comparison to previous studies could be influenced by the intensity of the sampling and the evidence about the remarkable influence of the sample type.

Widespread and prolonged defoliation by the European winter moth, Operophtera brumata L., has occurred in forests of eastern Massachusetts for more than a decade and populations of winter moth continue to invade new areas of New England. This study characterized the forests of eastern Massachusetts invaded by winter moth and related the duration of winter moth defoliation estimated using dendrochronology to observed levels of tree mortality and understory woody plant density. Quercus basal area mortality in mixed Quercus and mixed Quercus-Pinus strobus forests in eastern Massachusetts ranged from 0-30%; mortality of Quercus in these forests was related to site quality and the number of winter moth defoliation events. In addition, winter moth defoliation events lead to a subsequent increase in understory woody plant density. Our results indicate that winter moth defoliation has been an important disturbance in New England forests that may have lasting impacts.