More than 3000 scientists from all over the world gathered in Curitiba, Brazil, from 29 September to 5 October 2019, for the 25th IUFRO World Congress. Experts addressed all aspects of forest research, with the aim to advance knowledge of forest ecosystems. Several sessions in particular addressed the theme of biological invasions, their importance, their causes, and the means of preventing or combating them.

HOMED partners participated in or organized these sessions, in order to present the first significant results on the management of invasive insect pests and pathogenic fungi that threaten European forests.

HOMED coordinatior Hervé Jactel at the XXV IUFRO World Congress

HOMED international experts presented the following topics: 

Alberto Santini
C.N.R, Italy

• Tracing the role of human civilization in the globalization of plant pathogens
• Are there hopes for European elms?

Andrew (Sandy) Liebhold
USDA, USA

• Regional impacts of forest insect and disease invasions on forest carbon loss

Bernard Slippers
FABI, South Africa

• Interconnected global populations of forest pathogens created through anthropogenic spread
• Insights from population genetics and genomics for the management of the invasive pest Sirex noctilio
• Molecular tools advance the management of invasive gall-forming wasps associated with plantation forestry

Bastien Castagneyrol
INRA, France

• Top down control of insect herbivory in urban trees: Does tree diversity matter?

Hervé Jactel
INRA, France

• Resistance of mixed-species forests to insect herbivory in the context of climate change

Manuela Branco
ISA, Portugal

• Urban trees facilitate the establishment of alien forest insects.

Jan Stenlid
SLU, Sweden

• Diplodia sapinea outbreaks in Sweden. Climatic drivers and genetic diversity