Course Outline
- Readings
- Three assignments
- Final exam
Course Description
An introduction to insects which cause damage to forests and forest products; how insects live; life cycles and attack symptoms of representatives of major groups of insects; principles for control and management.
This distance education course is designed to introduce you to insects, their way of life, and their influence on the forests and forests products. It considers damage caused by the major insect groups in the B.C. forests, and the basic principles for control. It also deals with the implications of insect activity on silvicultural prescriptions and general forest management.
Note: Computer and Internet access are required.
Intended Student
To take this course toward degree completion, you are required to register in the Faculty of Forestry. Others with appropriate work experience may register as unclassified students and take the course for credit toward registration as a professional forester.
There are no formal prerequisites for this course, but you should have a basic understanding of Linnaean taxonomy, and be able to identify tree species from cones, wood, bark, or foliage samples. You are expected to read well and critically, and to express ideas concisely in writing. You will also be required to make detailed observations of insects and their activities in the field. As this is a distance education course, the ability to work independently and pursue areas of interest on your own is important.
Course Objectives
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
- briefly outline the historical development of forest entomology in North America from its origins in Europe;
- describe the form and function of insects and how they live;
- describe the life cycles and damage symptoms of major insect pests in the forests of British Columbia;
- outline the control options available for dealing with major insect pests;
- appreciate the role of the forester/entomologist/pest manager as an advisor to those making forest management decisions.
Course Content
The course is separated into four units containing a total of 19 lessons. The units will cover the following topics:
- Forest Entomology and Insects;
- An Introduction to Integrated Pest Management;
- Insect Groups of Economic Significance;
- Detection, Evaluation, and Management of Forest Pest Populations.
Evaluation
| Life History Diagrams (10) |
10%
|
| Mosquito Rearing Report |
10%
|
| Damage Sample Collection |
40%
|
| Final Exam |
40%
|
|
Total:
|
100%
|
Supplementary Materials
There are various brochures and pamphlets which can be obtained for this course free of charge from the Ministry of Forests.
Textbooks and Lab Manuals
Edmonds, R.L., J.K. Agee and R.I. Gara. 2000. Forest Health and Protection. Reissued 2005. Waveland Press Inc. ISBN 1-57766-396-9.
Doliner, L.H. & J.H. Borden. 1984. PesTerms. Pest Management Report No. 3. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Forests. ISBN 0-7718-8434-6. [Also available electronically as part of TREE DOCTOR
at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/meta/training.htm]
Henigman, J., T. Ebata, E. Allen, J. Westfall and A. Pollard. 2001 (Second Edition). Field Guide to Forest
Damage in British Columbia. Victoria, B.C. Co-published by BC Ministry of Forests. ISBN 0-7726-4416-0. [Also available at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/publications/00198]
Course Website
FETCH 21 – (Forest Entomology Textbook Challenge for the 21st Century) at http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/fetch21/fetch21/FETCH21.html
