# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Forest Insect Ecology and Management Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/forest-insect-ecology-and-management/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Forest Insect Ecology and Management research in the Class of 2026?

Forest insect ecology in the Class of 2026 is driven by predictive species distribution modeling and climate scenario forecasting for major pests like Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and Ips typographus. MaxEnt modeling and range expansion analysis saw the largest growth, while empirical canopy monitoring methods like UAV imagery and green attack detection experienced relative declines.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Forest Insect Ecology and Management |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 3,722 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Species distribution modeling, MaxEnt, future climate scenarios, Ips typographus, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 14–30 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Drought increases Norway spruce susceptibility to the Eurasian spruce bark beetle and its associated fungi | Sigrid Netherer, Linda Lehmanski, Albert Bachlehner, Sabine Rosner, Tadeja Savi, Axel Schmidt, Jianbei Huang, Maria Rosa Paiva, Eduardo Mateus, Henrik Hartmann, Jonathan Gershenzon | Sigrid Netherer | University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria | New Phytologist | 30 | 10.1111/nph.19635 |
| 2 | Can ecological niche models be used to accurately predict the distribution of invasive insects? A case study of <i>Hyphantria cunea</i> in China | Xuanye Wen, Guofei Fang, Shouquan Chai, Chuanjie He, Shouhui Sun, Guanghua Zhao, Xiao Lin | Shouhui Sun, Guanghua Zhao, Xiao Lin | National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China | Ecology and Evolution | 29 | 10.1002/ece3.11159 |
| 3 | The Value of Forests to Pollinating Insects Varies with Forest Structure, Composition, and Age | Michael D. Ulyshen, Kimberly M. Ballare, Christopher J. Fettig, James W. Rivers, Justin B. Runyon | Michael D. Ulyshen | USDA Forest Service, United States | Current Forestry Reports | 26 | 10.1007/s40725-024-00224-6 |
| 4 | YOLOv8-RD: High-Robust Pine Wilt Disease Detection Method Based on Residual Fuzzy YOLOv8 | Junchao Yuan, Lina Wang, Tingting Wang, Ali Kashif Bashir, Maryam M. Al Dabel, Jiaxing Wang, Hailin Feng, Kai Fang, Wei Wang | Junchao Yuan | Zhejiang A&F University, China | IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing | 25 | 10.1109/jstars.2024.3494838 |
| 5 | Spatial Distribution Pattern of <i>Aromia bungii</i> Within China and Its Potential Distribution Under Climate Change and Human Activity | Liang Zhang, Ping Wang, Guanglin Xie, Wenkai Wang | Ping Wang, Wenkai Wang | Yangtze University, China | Ecology and Evolution | 20 | 10.1002/ece3.70520 |
| 6 | Predicting the global potential distribution of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus using an ecological niche model: expansion trend and the main driving factors | Yang Xiao, Qiqiang Guo, Na Xie, Gangyi Yuan, Mengyun Liao, Qin Gui, Guijie Ding | Qiqiang Guo | Guizhou University, China | BMC Ecology and Evolution | 19 | 10.1186/s12862-024-02234-1 |
| 7 | Drought initialised bark beetle outbreak in Central Europe: Meteorological factors and infestation dynamic | Nana Pirtskhalava-Karpova, Aleksei Trubin, Aleksandr Karpov, Rastislav Jakuš | Nana Pirtskhalava-Karpova | Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic | Forest Ecology and Management | 19 | 10.1016/j.foreco.2023.121666 |
| 8 | Patterns of early post-disturbance reorganization in Central European forests | Rupert Seidl, Mária Potterf, Jörg Müller, Monica G Turner, Werner Rammer | Rupert Seidl, Mária Potterf | Technical University of Munich, Germany | Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences | 19 | 10.1098/rspb.2024.0625 |
| 9 | Occurrence and potential diffusion of pine wilt disease mediated by insect vectors in China under climate change | Ruihe Gao, Lei Liu, Shiming Fan, Wenfang Zheng, Ruyuan Liu, Zhiwei Zhang, Ruifen Huang, Lijuan Zhao, Juan Shi | Lijuan Zhao, Juan Shi | College of Forestry Shanxi Agricultural University  Jinzhong China, China | Pest Management Science | 18 | 10.1002/ps.8335 |
| 10 | In Situ Antimicrobial Properties of Sabinene Hydrate, a Secondary Plant Metabolite | Asta Judžentienė, Dalė Pečiulytė, Irena Nedveckytė | Asta Judžentienė | Vilnius University, Lithuania | Molecules | 17 | 10.3390/molecules29174252 |
| 11 | Vulnerability of Global Pine Forestry's Carbon Sink to an Invasive Pathogen–Vector System | Jiao Zhou, Jingjing Du, Luís Bonifácio, Wandong Yin, Lin Huang, Jing Ning, Dongbo Han, Jiafu Hu, Wei Song, Lilin Zhao | Lilin Zhao | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Global Change Biology | 17 | 10.1111/gcb.17614 |
| 12 | Evaluating the Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Potential Distribution of Pine Wood Nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) in China | Liang Zhang, Ping Wang, Guanglin Xie, Wenkai Wang | Ping Wang | Yangtze University, China | Forests | 16 | 10.3390/f15071253 |
| 13 | Ecosystem heterogeneity is key to limiting the increasing climate-driven risks to European forests | Giovanni Forzieri, Hervé Jactel, Alessandra Bianchi, Spinoni Jonathan, Deepakrishna Somasundaram, Luc Feyen, Alessandro Cescatti | Giovanni Forzieri | University of Florence, Italy | One Earth | 16 | 10.1016/j.oneear.2024.10.005 |
| 14 | Detection of green attack and bark beetle susceptibility in Norway Spruce: Utilizing PlanetScope Multispectral Imagery for Tri-Stage spectral separability analysis | Aleksei Trubin, Giorgi Kozhoridze, Khodabakhsh Zabihi, Roman Modlinger, Vivek Vikram Singh, Peter Surový, Rastislav Jakuš | Aleksei Trubin | Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic | Forest Ecology and Management | 16 | 10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121838 |
| 15 | Modeling the distribution of pine wilt disease in China using the ensemble models <scp>MaxEnt</scp> and <scp>CLIMEX</scp> | Lin Chen, Wenxiong Lu, Byron B Lamont, Yu Liu, Pujie Wei, Weixing Xue, Zixuan Xiong, Li Tang, Yongjian Wang, Pengcheng Wang, Zhaogui Yan | Zhaogui Yan | Huazhong Agricultural University, China | Ecology and Evolution | 15 | 10.1002/ece3.70277 |
| 16 | A general DDE framework to describe insect populations: Why delays are so important? | Luca Rossini, Nicolás Bono Rosselló, Ouassim Benhamouche, Mario Contarini, Stefano Speranza, Emanuele Garone | Luca Rossini | Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium | Ecological Modelling | 15 | 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110937 |
| 17 | Higher tree species richness and diversity in urban areas than in forests: Implications for host availability for invasive tree pests and pathogens | Benno A. Augustinus, Meinrad Abegg, Valentin Queloz, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff | Benno A. Augustinus | Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Switzerland | Landscape and Urban Planning | 14 | 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105144 |
| 18 | Bark beetle pre-emergence detection using multi-temporal hyperspectral drone images: Green shoulder indices can indicate subtle tree vitality decline | Langning Huo, Niko Koivumäki, Raquel Alves de Oliveira, Teemu Hakala, Lauri Markelin, Roope Näsi, Juha Suomalainen, Antti Polvivaara, Samuli Junttila, Eija Honkavaara | Langning Huo | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden | ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing | 14 | 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2024.07.027 |
| 19 | Why so many Hemiptera invasions? | Andrew M. Liebhold, Rebecca M. Turner, Charles R. Bartlett, Cléo Bertelsmeier, Rachael E. Blake, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Charlotte E. Causton, Janis N. Matsunaga, Stuart H. McKamey, Helen F. Nahrung, Christopher L. Owen, Deepa S. Pureswaran, Alain Roques, Scott A. Schneider, Allen Sanborn, Takehiko Yamanaka | Andrew M. Liebhold | Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic | Diversity and Distributions | 14 | 10.1111/ddi.13911 |
| 20 | Catching invasives with curiosity: the importance of passive biosecurity surveillance systems for invasive forest pest detection | Amanda D Roe, Leigh F Greenwood, David R Coyle | Amanda D Roe | Natural Resources Canada, Canada | Environmental Entomology | 14 | 10.1093/ee/nvae082 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

In the Class of 2026, research in forest insect ecology and management is strongly centered on species distribution modeling and climate impact forecasting. The most prominent analytical frameworks include Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling and ensemble modeling, widely applied to project habitat suitability under future climate scenarios. Research heavily targets major forest pests and vectors, notably the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) attacking Norway spruce (Picea abies), as well as the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) causing pine wilt disease. Geographic distribution studies, particularly focusing on range expansion and potential distribution across vulnerable forest ecosystems in China and Europe, represent a core thematic cluster. Environmental stressors such as drought and changing precipitation patterns are increasingly integrated into niche models to anticipate pest outbreaks and range shifts. Together, these patterns reflect a discipline-wide shift toward predictive, macro-ecological modeling tools designed to inform proactive forest protection and biosecurity management under accelerating global climate change.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a distinct transition from localized, remote sensing-based canopy monitoring toward high-resolution predictive species distribution modeling. Methodologies such as MaxEnt and species distribution modeling experienced the sharpest growth, propelled by expanding research into range expansion and climate suitability for invasive pests like Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Regional biogeographic studies focusing on distribution shifts in China and ensemble climate modeling also recorded marked increases. Conversely, empirical monitoring topics such as green attack detection and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery saw noticeable declines in relative frequency. While Ips typographus remains a core focal insect, its relative representation moderated compared to the previous cohort as attention expanded to emerging pine wilt vectors and broader invasive species risks. Overall, the field is evolving from reactive airborne surveillance of active forest damage toward proactive, model-driven forecasting of climate-driven insect range expansions.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Forest Insect Ecology and Management Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/forest-insect-ecology-and-management/2026. Accessed 2026-07-31.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```