Impacts, Monitoring and Management of Forest Pests and Diseases

Forest pests have diverse negative impacts on forestry economy, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and sustainable ecosystem management. The first step towards effectively managing forest pests would be to monitor their occurrence and assess their impact on forest ecosystems. The monitoring results can provide basic information for effective management strategies. The data from monitoring programs can result in the development of new methods for monitoring, assessing impact, and developing management techniques. This special issue aims to share information to assist in the effective management of forest pests, by understanding the responses of forest pests to natural and anthropogenic changes, and discussing new studies on the monitoring, assessment, and management of forest pests. The fourteen papers included in this issue focus on monitoring, assessing, and managing forest pests, including one editorial providing an overall idea of the monitoring, assessment and management of forest pests, two articles reviewing long-term changes in forest pests and forests, four papers focusing on the monitoring of forest pests, three papers on the assessment of forest pests, and four papers on the management of forest pests. These papers provide a better understanding of the structures and processes in forest ecosystems and fundamental information for the effective management of forest pests

Merging morphology, molecules and modelling: A unifying approach for understanding the common cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) and related species worldwide

The genus Ctenocephalides Stiles and Collins, 1930 contains the most ubiquitous and significant flea ectoparasites worldwide. The common cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) is the most cosmopolitan species within the genus and invades human environments by infesting cats and dogs globally. This species causes significant dermatological pathology to pets and is a vector of zoonotic pathogens including Rickettsia felis, Bartonella spp. and the plague (Yersinia pestis) in endemic regions. Additionally, the costs to pet owners for annual flea control amounts to USD$15 billion worldwide. Despite the global medical, veterinary and economic significance of the cat flea, prior to this work little was known about its origins and how it came to be the most pervasive flea species on earth. The primary objective of this thesis was to amass a global collection of Ctenocephalides fleas from cats and dogs to fill the gaps in our knowledge relating to the taxonomy, phylogenetics and vector role of these important parasites. In this body of work, I demonstrate the importance of an integrated morphological and molecular approach for research on parasite and vector species. By marrying morphological taxonomy with molecular systematics and phylogeographic analyses, I resolve the taxonomy of C. felis and demonstrate cryptic diversity within the species that may have implications for zoonotic pathogen transmission. I show that from out-of-Africa origins, human movement and bioclimatic affinities define and conserve globally discrete lineages of C. felis. This work is the most comprehensive survey of global Ctenocephalides fleas thus far and the first to combine morphology with molecules for the analysis of the genus. The research provides a framework for the investigation of any unresolved taxa, particularly for globally distributed groups that impact upon human health, animal health, agriculture and global economics. The outcomes of this research make a significant contribution to the field of medical and veterinary entomology by providing taxonomic resolution of C. felis and by detailing the most effective and exhaustive technique for taxonomic inquiry of other medically or veterinary relevant arthropods. Using C. felis as a model, the work sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of evolutionary dispersal and population establishment of cosmopolitan insect species

Image and Video Forensics

Nowadays, images and videos have become the main modalities of information being exchanged in everyday life, and their pervasiveness has led the image forensics community to question their reliability, integrity, confidentiality, and security. Multimedia contents are generated in many different ways through the use of consumer electronics and high-quality digital imaging devices, such as smartphones, digital cameras, tablets, and wearable and IoT devices. The ever-increasing convenience of image acquisition has facilitated instant distribution and sharing of digital images on digital social platforms, determining a great amount of exchange data. Moreover, the pervasiveness of powerful image editing tools has allowed the manipulation of digital images for malicious or criminal ends, up to the creation of synthesized images and videos with the use of deep learning techniques. In response to these threats, the multimedia forensics community has produced major research efforts regarding the identification of the source and the detection of manipulation. In all cases (e.g., forensic investigations, fake news debunking, information warfare, and cyberattacks) where images and videos serve as critical evidence, forensic technologies that help to determine the origin, authenticity, and integrity of multimedia content can become essential tools. This book aims to collect a diverse and complementary set of articles that demonstrate new developments and applications in image and video forensics to tackle new and serious challenges to ensure media authenticity

From Laboratory Studies to Court Evidence: Challenges in Forensic Entomology

In 2001, Benecke concluded a review on the history of forensic entomology with these optimistic words: "basic research and advanced application of forensic entomology (…) has opened the way to routine casework". At the same time, the TV show Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) largely brought forensic entomology to light. However, the show also cruelly pointed out its limits: After the team leader explained to his colleague how insects can help determine the time of death, the team leader added "You've still got to convince a jury", to which the colleague promptly responded "On guns. It's got to be better than bugs. Less Latin." Indeed, several factors—including complexity, inherent limitations, and the rapid evolution of scientific knowledge—explain the slow acceptance of insect-based evidence. In this context, this Special Issue focuses on the articulation between laboratory studies and casework, a major challenge for the future of forensic entomology

Assessing Health Vulnerability to Air Pollution in Seoul Using an Agent-Based Simulation

This study aims to investigate the exposure to air pollution in Seoul and the consequent health effects in Seoul South Korea, and suggest possible solutions using agent-based modelling (ABM). ABM is a useful technique that can simulate pollution generation and exposure, mobility patterns of unique individuals, and explore future scenarios. The first study compared Universal Kriging and Generalised Additive Models to spatially interpolate pollution station data over Seoul. A new method was discovered to enhance the accuracy of NO2 on roads. Next, ABM was used to evaluate potential health loss for a set of demographic groups after being cumulatively exposed to particulates (PM10), with a nominal heath impact threshold of 100µg/m3. Finally, a traffic simulation examined the coupled problem of non-exhaust emissions and behaviour and estimate exposure to PM10 for groups of drivers and pedestrians in central Seoul. Having tested the sensitivity to calibrated parameters, scenarios of traffic restriction and modification of pedestrian behaviour to avoid polluted areas was investigated. With less difference between interpolation methods, the result showed a remarkable contrast between roadside and background NO2 as well as a daily cycle, while PM10 had a small variance between hours but had greater seasonal oscillation. The first ABM study showed that disparities in health may arise as a result of differences in socioeconomic status, especially when the group was exposed over a long period, and road proximity caused additional health loss. In the traffic simulation study, extreme PM10 was found along roadways, but although drivers were exposed to extreme values, longer exposure for pedestrians led to higher health risks. Despite the absence of reliable data linking exposure to actual health effects, it is possible to make progress with ABM. In addition, pollution exposure can vary by commuting patterns and the urban development of one’s location. Scenarios can be advantageous for healthcare policy – to aid the most vulnerable groups and districts

New Perspectives in the Definition/Evaluation of Seismic Hazard through Analysis of the Environmental Effects Induced by Earthquakes

The devastating effects caused by the recent catastrophic earthquakes that took place all over the world from Japan, New Zealand, to Chile, as well as those occurring in the Mediterranean basin, have once again shown that ground motion, although a serious source of direct damage, is not the only parameter to be considered, with most damage being the result of coseismic geological effects that are directly connected to the earthquake source or caused by ground shaking. The primary environmental effects induced by earthquakes as well as the secondary effects (sensu Environmental Seismic Intensity - ESI 2007 scale) must be considered for a more correct and complete evaluation of seismic hazards, at both regional and local scales. This Special Issue aims to collect all contributions that, using different methodologies, integrate new data produced with multi-disciplinary and innovative methods. These methodologies are essential for the identification and characterization of seismically active areas, and for the development of new hazard models, obtained using different survey techniques. The topic attracted a lot of interest, 19 peer-reviewed articles were collected; moreover, different areas of the world have been analyzed through these methodologies: Italy, USA, Spain, Australia, Ecuador, Guatemala, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, China, Japan, and Nepal