Take a look at our latest article published in the Fire Ecology Journal by Saulino et al. 2025. The study demonstrated that outbreaks of the non-native sap-feeding insect T. parvicornis can influence fire behavior by rearranging crown fuels (mainly honeydew) from the canopy down to the forest floor. Following fuel redistribution, fires can climb up into the canopy, changing the behavior and severity of fires in both thinned and unthinned stands of P. pinea forest.
Fire-insect interaction in Mediterranean stone pine forests
Extreme wildfire events pose a significant threat to terrestrial ecosystems and the ecosystem services they provide. Interesting evidence is emerging around the role played by non-native sap-feeding insects in exacerbating the severity of fires in Southern European Pinus pinea forests.