Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research

Population genetics of cottonwood leaf beetles (CLB's): CLB's are widely distributed across the United States, on several different hosts, providing ample opportunity for differentiationThis study is designed to measure genetic variation between populations which will improve our ability to develop control and monitoring methods.
Classical biological control of kudzu: Kudzu is a noxious introduced weed covering 7 million acres of the southeastern United States.The goal is to introduce beneficial species of insects from Kudzu's homeland, China, to reduce kudzu infestations.
Woodwasp/wood decay symbiosis: This study examines the interactions between woodwasps and wood decay fungi and the roles they play in forest health.This study includes development of molecular methods to identify somatic growth of wood decay fungi.
Insect biodiversity: This study has multiple goals: to study biodiversity of several tree feeding taxa (Cerambycids, Buprestids, phytophagous Hymenoptera etc.) in bottomland hardwoods, identify significant pest species for control and life history studies, catalog rare species to determine if they should be protected and to develop methods for forest biodiversity studies.
Pondberry restoration.Pondberry is a federally listed endangered species in the United States.This study looks at factors, including insect herbivores, that limit its distribution and spread with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of populations so that this species my be delisted.