Description

Plant communities in taiga forest ecosystems harbor an array of insects that exploit the vast biomass within these ecosystems. Phytophagous insects with associated parasites, predators, and saprophytes form a discrete insect community. Phytophagous species often differ among plant communities, but the associated natural insect enemies are usually not host-specific and are associated with several species of forest insects. The taiga forest ecosystems of interior Alaska have variable site characteristics, including aspect and slope. These site differences (Van Cleve et al. 1983) affect both plant species composition and plant growth and vigor, which in turn affect the population dynamics of phytophagous insects.