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Melissa Fierke
Assistant Professor, Forest Entomology

146 Illick Hall
SUNY-ESF
1 Forestry Drive
Syracuse, NY 13210

mkfierke@esf.edu

(315) 470-6809 - office
(315) 470-6934 - fax

Education

• B.S. Environmental Chemistry, B.S. Environmental Biology, Arkansas Tech University, Russellville, Arkansas.

• M.S. Fisheries Science, M.S. Environmental Science (Water Resources), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
• Ph.D. Entomology (Minor: Biology), University of Arkansas, 2006.

Area of Research Specialization: Forest Entomology and Forest Ecology

My lab is involved in research on two recently introduced forest insects in New York, the invasive European wood wasp, Sirex noctilio, and emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, a wood-boring beetle. We are investigating parasitism of the wood wasp by native parasitoids, other wasps that lay their eggs in the eggs/larvae of the wood wasp, as well as within-tree, stand and regional population dynamics and emergence phenologies of the wood wasp. We are also investigating phenologies of our native wood wasps as well as their interactions with the introduced S. noctilio. Emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees nada and likely means the demise of Fraxinus, all ash species, in North America. We are involved in research to improve detection, delimitation and management of EAB infestations. Our delimitation and management efforts in New York State have focused on using girdled trap trees (“sentinels”) for detection and delimitation and clusters of girdled trees (“sinks”) for EAB population control. Our research has shown that sentinel trees when combined with purple prism traps are efficient tools for detecting EAB at low densities and that sink trees have significantly more beetles than nearby control trees. We have also documented the importance of ash along five rivers in New York State as well as ash-specialists in riparian areas, focusing on Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. We are also involved in a biomonitoring project using a native digger wasp that uses wood-boring beetles to provision its nests to monitor for emerald ash borer and have evaluated the efficacy of this tool for surveying the biodiversity of buprestid beetles.

Graduate Opportunities

If you are interested in becoming a part of my lab at ESF, please send me a) a short statement about yourself and your interests (background, goals/ambitions, reason(s) for your interest in ESF and why you would want to do research in my lab, as well as any questions you might have), b) a copy of your Curriculum Vitae, and c) your GPA and GRE scores (include the analytical writing and subject tests if you've taken them).

Research Technicians

John Welsh

Rory Fencl

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Funmi Afelumo and Liz Giglio Katie Walters

Past Graduate Students

• Warren Hellman - April 2011: Evaluating use of the Native Digger Wasp Cerceris fumipennis (Say) as a Sampling Method for New York Buprestidae
• Peter Rockermann - April 2011: Implications for Invasion by Emerald Ash Borer in New York: Ash Abundance in Riparian Areas and Moth Assemblages in Upland and Lowland Forests with High and Low Ash Densities
• Patrick Eager - April 2010: An Analysis of the Sirex noctilio Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) - Parasitoid Complex in New York State

Past Undergraduate Research Assistants

• Elizabeth Keyser
• Candi Finger
• Katie McKeever
• Greg Williams

Courses Taught

• Insect Diversity - Spring
• Organismal Biology and Ecology EFB 101 - Fall
• Forest Health Monitoring
• Adaptive Peaks Seminar
• Core Course for Graduate Students

Publications

M.K. Fierke, C. Foelker, M. Whitmore, J. Vandenberg, J. Carlson. Delimitation and management of emerald ash borer at an outlier infestation in southwestern New York. Economic Entomol. In review.

Eager, P.T., D. Parry, D.C. Allen, M.K. Fierke. Parasitism and Phenologies of the Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) - Parasitoid Complex in new York State. J. Insect Ecology. In review.

Rockermann, P.J., C. Landis, M.K. Fierke. Abundance of ash species (Fraxinus) in riparian forests of New York: Implications for invasion by emerald ash borer. Northeastern Naturalist. In review.

Standley, C., R. Hoebeck, D. Parry, D. Allen, M. Fierke. Detection and identification of two new native hymenopteran parasitoids associated with exotic Sirex noctilio in North America. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington. Accepted.

Dean, K., J. Vandenberg, M. Griggs, L. Beaur, M. Fierke. Assessing susceptibility of hymenopteran parasitoids of the emerald ash borer to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. J. Insect Pathology. In press.

Eager, P.T., D.C. Allen, J.L. Frair, M.K. Fierke 2011. Within-tree distributions of the Sirex noctilio-parasitoid complex and development of an optimal sampling scheme. Envir. Entomol. 40:1266-1275.

Fierke, M.K., D. Nowak, R. Hofstetter. 2011. Forest Health Monitoring. In Castello, J. and S. Teale (eds) Forest Health textbook. Cambridge Press.

Rutledge, C., W. Hellman, C. Teerling, M. Fierke. 2011. Two novel prey families for the buprestid-hunting wasp Cerceris fumipennis Say (Hymenoptera: Crabonidae). Coleopterists Bulletin. The Coleopterists Bulletin. 65:194-196.

M.K. Fierke, F.M. Stephen. 2010. Historic populations of red oak borer (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in living northern red oaks from the Boston Mountains of Arkansas. Can. J. For. Res. 40: 679–686.

L. Haavik, M.K. Fierke, F.M. Stephen. 2010. Factors affecting suitability of Quercus rubra as hosts for Enaphalodes rufulus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Env. Entom. 39:520-527.

M.C. Whitmore, M.K. Fierke. 2010. Emerald ash borer is now in New York. New York Forest Owner. 48:14-15.

M.B. Kelley, M.K. Fierke, F.M. Stephen. 2009. Identification and distribution of Armillaria species associated with an oak decline event in the Arkansas Ozarks. J. For. Path. 39:397-404.

L. Haavik, F. Stephen, M. Fierke, V. Salisbury, S. Leavitt, S. Billings. 2008. Dendrochronological parameters of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L. (Fagaceae)) infested with red oak borer (Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)). For. Ecol. Manag. 255:1501-1509.

M.K. Fierke, F.M. Stephen. 2008. Callus formation and bark moisture as potential physical defenses of northern red oak, Quercus rubra, against red oak borer, Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Can. Entomol. 140:149-157.

M.K. Fierke, M.B. Kelley, F.M. Stephen. 2007. Site and Stand Variables Influencing Red Oak Borer, Enaphalodes rufulus, (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Population Densities and Tree Mortality. Forest Ecol. Manag. 247: 227-236.

M.K. Fierke, F.M. Stephen. 2007. Red Oak Borer (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Flight Trapping in the Ozark National Forest, Arkansas. Florida Entomol. 90:488-494.

D.J. Crook, M.K. Fierke, D.L. Kinney, V.B. Salisbury, F.M. Stephen. 2007. Optimization of Sampling Methods for Within-tree Populations of Red Oak Borer, Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Envir. Entomol. 36:589-594.

M.K. Fierke, J.B. Kauffman. 2006. Invasive species influence riparian plant diversity along a black cottonwood successional gradient, Willamette River, Oregon. Natural Areas J. 26:376-382.

M.K. Fierke, J.B. Kauffman. 2006. Riverscape patterns in riparian plant diversity along a black cottonwood successional gradient, Willamette River, Oregon. Plant Ecol. 185:85-95.

M.K. Fierke, Kinney, D.L., Salisbury, V.B., Crook, D.J., and Stephen, F.M. 2005. A rapid estimation procedure for within-tree populations of red oak borer (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Forest Ecology and Management 215:163–168.

M.K. Fierke; D. L. Kinney; V. B. Salisbury; D. J. Crook; F. M. Stephen. 2005. Development and Comparison of Intensive and Extensive Sampling Methods and Preliminary Within-Tree Population Estimates of Red Oak Borer (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Environmental Entomology. 34:184-192.

M.K. Fierke, J.B. Kauffman. 2005. Structural development and biomass of black cottonwood-dominated gallery forests along a successional gradient, Willamette River, Oregon. Forest Ecol. Manag. 215:149-162.

Professional Memberships

• Entomological Society of America
• Entomological Society of Canada
• Ecological Society of America
• Society of American Foresters
  

Professional Service

Reviewer for Forest Ecology & Management, Journal of Insect Behavior, Environmental Entomology, Economic Entomology, Journal of Arboriculture, Canadian Entomologist.

Awards

• 2007 Roger F. Anderson Southern Forest Insect Work Conference Outstanding Graduate Student.
• 2005 University of Arkansas Department of Entomology Isely Outstanding Ph.D student award.

Selected Presentations

M.K. Fierke, K. Gandhi, M. Ayers. Sirex noctilio: biology, parasitism and native siricids. 5/2011. North American Forest Insect Work Conference. Portland, OR.

M.K. Fierke, P. Eager, C. Standley, D. Parry, D. Allen. Splitting and rearing to know: new insights into the siricid-parasitoid complex. Presented at multiple venues:

• 5/2011, Sirex noctilio Research Updates Meeting, Riverdale, MD.
• 3/2011, Eastern Branch Meeting of the Entomol. Soc. of America. Harrisburg, PA.
• 1/2011, USDA Annual Interagency Research Forum on Invasive Species, Annapolis, MD.

M.K. Fierke, J. Vandenburg, M. Whitmore, J. Carlson. Girdling and peeling to know: emerald ash borer research in New York. Presented at multiple venues:

Eastern Branch Meeting of the Entomol. Soc. of America. 3/2011, Harrisburg, PA.

New York Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting, 1/2011, Syracuse NY.

M.K. Fierke, P. Eager, P. Rockermann, W. Hellman. 2009. Finding a niche in northeastern forest entomology – emerald ash borer and Sirex noctilio . Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Indianapolis, IN.

M.K. Fierke. 2008. Emerald Ash Borer: Status, Biology, Impacts and Current Research. Invasive Non-Native Forest Pest Conference, Ithaca NY.

M.K. Fierke, C. Landis, M. O’Brien, J. Riddle, N. Werner, R. Germain. 2008. Economic and ecological impacts of emerald ash borer and Sirex noctilio. Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee, WI.

F. M. Stephen, M.K. Fierke, J. M Guldin, L.J. Haavik, J. J. Riggins and J. A. Tullis. 2008. Red oak borer as an agent of change in Arkansas forests: an historical perspective. International Congress of Entomology, Durban, South Africa.

M.K. Fierke, F.M. Stephen. 2008. Red oak borer research in upland oak-hickory forests. Eastern Branch meeting, Entomological Society of America, Syracuse NY, March 2008.