Risk Analysis Journal Honors Eastern Threat Center Research

by Stephanie Worley Firley, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center  • 
Sirex noctilio, the Sirex woodwasp featured in one of the top articles co-authored by Eastern Threat Center researchers. Photo by Gyorgy Csoka, courtesy of Bugwood.org.
Sirex noctilio, the Sirex woodwasp featured in one of the top articles co-authored by Eastern Threat Center researchers. Photo by Gyorgy Csoka, courtesy of Bugwood.org.

Two scientific papers co-authored by U.S. Forest Service Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center researchers and featured in the journal Risk Analysis are recognized for their contributions to the field of ecological risk assessment.

In a special journal issue, Risk Analysis editor Wayne Landis selected 25 key papers published in the journal since its founding in 1981 that represent broad topics and milestones in the development of ecological risk assessment. Among the selected papers related to nonnative species and conservation, Landis states that two 2009 papers by research ecologist Frank Koch, biometrician Bill Smith, and collaborators helped “set the standard” for risk analysis of pest invasions.    

Eastern Threat Center research ecologist Frank Koch.
Eastern Threat Center research ecologist Frank Koch.

One of the honored papers, “Evaluating critical uncertainty thresholds in a spatial model of forest pest invasion risk,” was previously honored with Risk Analysis 2009 Best Paper Award. “We are so honored to have our work recognized as important contributions to the development of invasive species risk analysis,” says Koch. “We aspire to be creative and forward-thinking in our research, and this recognition definitely inspires us to continue testing the perceived limits to what is possible in this field.”

Read the articles:

Yemshanov, D., F.H. Koch, D.W. McKenney, M.C. Downing, and F. Sapio. 2009. Mapping invasive species risks with stochastic models: A cross-border United States-Canada application for Sirex noctilio Fabricius. Risk Analysis 29(6):868884.

Eastern Threat Center biometrician Bill Smith.
Eastern Threat Center biometrician Bill Smith.

Koch, F.H., D. Yemshanov, D.W. McKenney, and W.D. Smith. 2009. Evaluating critical uncertainty thresholds in a spatial model of forest pest invasion risk. Risk Analysis 29(9):12271241.  

For more information, email Frank Koch at fhkoch@fs.fed.us  or Bill Smith at bdsmith@fs.fed.us .

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