Climate Change and Invasive Insects in Forest Ecosystems - Recent Examples from Türkiye

Abstract

Recent climate changes -in contrast to changes in the past- are faster, and humans play a significant role in speeding up the process. Fauna usually responds strikingly to the changing climate; however, effects on animal species varies greatly. Indirect effects on insects through their host plants like the shifted shooting time, and the changed chemical composition and texture of the plant are significant. Direct effects like changes of the climatic elements (temperature, humidity) may cause a wide range of reactions, like change of the distribution area (e.g., northward shift) and/or change in the insects’ biology (e.g., swarming time, generation cycle). The presence of invasive insects is usually not associated with changing climatic factors. Their arrival is mainly human activity driven and the changing climatic factors may promote their establishment only. Introductions are accidental in most cases, but there are also plenty of examples of intentionally introduced species. In this paper, we demonstrate the effect of invasive insect species on the forest ecosystems in Türkiye through the examples of the western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis), the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis), the Asian longhorn beetles (Anoplophora glabripennis & A. chinensis), the chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus), the oak lace bug (Corythucha arcuata) and the black stem borer (Xylosandrus germanus). The importance of invasive forest insect monitoring is also discussed.