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Entomology and Plant Pathology

Dr. Ernest Bernard, Professor

Research

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI); taxonomy and ecology of Collembola, Protura, and nematodes; biological control of root-knot and cyst nematodes.

TITLE: All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Soil Arthropods and Nematodes.
Objectives: The goal of the ATBI is to document all known forms of life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). This inventory is unprecedented in size and scope, with nearly 200 scientists involved in documenting life in the Park. The Smokies constitute one of the most biodiverse temperate regions on earth. For instance, there are more species of trees in GSMNP than in all of Europe, and there are more species of salamanders in the Park than anywhere else. The best estimate is that 100,000 species of living organisms exist in the Park, but only a small fraction of these (vertebrates, butterflies, vascular plants) are well known. Most of the 100,000 species have not yet been recorded from GSMNP, and it is anticipated that many species new to science will be discovered. I serve as the taxonomic working group (TWIG) leader for the apterygote-myriapod TWIG (includes Collembola, Protura, Diplura, Thysanura, Microcoryphia, Pauropoda, Symphyla, Chilopoda, Diplopoda) and the nematode TWIG (includes free-living, plant-parasitic, and invertebrate-parasitic nematodes). The long-range goals of these TWIGs are to develop a comprehensive list of all species in GSMNP, develop distribution maps of the species collected, and to describe new species.

Title: Biological Control of Root-Knot and Cyst Nematodes.
Objectives: Root-knot and cyst nematodes cause many millions of dollars worth of crop losses every year. For many reasons, means of control are quite limited. Biological control of these pests is an exciting possibility. Many kinds of soilborne fungi can attach these nematodes. The challenge is in finding and developing fungi that will attack nematodes at their most vulnerable stages and when they will have the most impact. Another approach is to use organic soil amendments or antagonistic plants to reduce nematode numbers. For instance, wheat planted in the winter reduces cyst nematode numbers so that the following soybean crop is less damaged. Also, plant residues (leaves, mulch) mixed into soil can reduce nematode populations. As chemical management fades into history, alternative approaches will become more important.

Read how institute scientist are partners in a multi-agency task force to control a devastating pest in the Tennessee Land, Life & Science article, "Saving Tennessee Hemlocks" (Vol. 1/No. 2/2003).

Check out the All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory Dr. Bernard is working on in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Read more about Dr. Bernard's research (USDA research reports) on the CRIS database at http://cwf.uvm.edu/cris/. Just choose CRIS Search and then enter Bernard, E. C. in the box marked Investigator.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians soil invertebrate survey.

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, A Mortal Threat to Appalachian Hemlock Forests

The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A Threat to Hemlock in Tennessee (SP503-G)

Links

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Updated 09/23/2008