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SERA012: Southern Forest Insect Work Conference

Duration:

October 01, 1992 to September 30, 2007

Administrative Advisor(s):

Hector Santiago (PR.) - Research

NIFA Reps:

H. J. Meyer

Statement of Issue(s) and Justification:

Project's Primary Website is at http://www.sfiwc.org/ (direct link can be found under LINKS)

Insect and their relatives are important pests in the forest ecosystems of the southeastern United States and they are of great economic importance to the forest industry. SFIWC has provided an annual forum for 46 years for approximately 100 attending forest entomologists to discuss insect problems and management strategies for the region. The SFIWC has established a strong identity in the region (and nationally), and its continuance is assured by the enthusiasm and dedicated support of the participants. Participants include representatives from Land-Grant Universities, USDA-FS and -ARS, state governments, and the forest industries located the Southern Region. This annual conference in particular provides the opportunity for extension specialists and research personnel to interact and exchange timely information.

Accomplishment:
The Southern Forest Insect Work Conference (SFIWC) is an established activity for southern forest entomologists. The 46th annual meeting was held in Roanoke, VA in July 2002. Over 200 persons are listed as "members" of SFIWC that held its first meeting in 1956. The SFIWC was designated SERA-IEG-12 in 1992. Website is www.sfiwc.org maintained at the University of Georgia.

One activity of the SFIWC directly impacting the SERA process has been the publication of So. Coop. Ser. Bull. No. 383, Forest Insects and Their Damage (Vol I and II, published in 1995) (Vol. III and IV published in 2001), each are 2 CD-ROM sets. Volumes I and II includes 192 high-resolution forest insect images and a set of US Forest Service publications (hot-linked) with information on identification, distribution and management; information and images are of both hardwood and conifer bark beetles, and features in an easy to use "web-like" interface. Volumes III and IV treat the bark beetles of North America in a format similar to Volumes I and II. The CD sets can be ordered from www.barkbeetles.org.

The SFIWC has been serious about collecting and preserving images of forest pests and their damage. This continuing effort has culminated in "ForestryImages" (http://www.forestryimages.org/). Since ForestryImages was released in 2001, SFIWC has made major improvements in the collection and more than doubled the available images from 3500 to over 7500.

One spin-off of the conference has been the formation of SRIEG-74, the southern pine beetle working group in 1999. This provides focused time one day prior to the SFIWC for a smaller group to concentrate discussions on this important pest.

Each year members of the SFIWC generate a report on the losses caused by forest insects in the region. The report estimates damage classes and levels of significant pests. A standard format allows comparison to previous years to see how much a particular pest's damage has changed.

Objectives

1. Advance the science and practice of forest entomology.
2. Provide a medium for the exchange of professional thoughts.
3. Provide a clearing house for technical information.
4. Gain a regional perspective on forest insect problems.

Procedures and Activities

Expected Outcomes and Impacts:

• Publication of the annual proceedings that includes program details, texts of invited talks, business meeting minutes, Treasurer's report, group photographs of annual meeting attendees, and a full membership list. These proceedings are distributed to members and to university libraries and forestry schools around the country. Other publications (through the Southern Cooperative Bulletin Series of the SAAESD) as appropriate.
• Enhanced understanding and collaboration amongst southern region forest entomologists and better management of southern forest insect pests.

Project Participation:

Include a completed Appendix E form

Educational Plan:

Conduct an annual meeting to provide a forum for exchange of ideas. Encourage attendance and paper presentation by graduate students. Encourage excellence in research and education through sponsorship of the annual A.D. Hopkins Award. Preserve the history of forest entomology in the southern region. The annual survey, assess and tabulate the losses caused by forest insects in the region. Maintain a website for the SFIWC.

Internal and External Linkages: Attendance over the past decade has ranged from 85 to 115 persons per annual conference with 90% of the attendees coming from the Southern Region. About 40% of the attendees are research and extension personnel from universities, 40% from Federal government (largely Forest Service, and Agricultural Research Service), 15% from state governments, and 5% from industry.

Governance:

Chairman (2000-2002) Don Rogers, NCDENR - Forest Resources, 1616 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1616. 919-733-2162 ext 256, Fax 919-733-0138 Email: don.rogers@ncmail.net.

Literature Cited:

Attachments:

none

Internal Linkages:

External Linkages:

Signatures:

s:/Gerald *Jubb

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