Research Topic
Community Ecology in the Expanding Range of Southern Pine Beetle
Caroline’s research investigates the ecological consequences of climate-induced range expansion using the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis; SPB) system. SPB kills pine trees by using pheromone communication to orchestrate mass-attack of healthy trees. The ecological and economic impacts of SPB has fueled over 100 years of research in the beetle’s native range in the southeastern U.S. As winters get warmer, particularly the coldest night of the winter, SPB can survive further and further north. This range expansion provides opportunities for new research. Caroline compared the insect community associated with SPB infestation in New York and in the native range for her Master’s here at UNH, and continues to build on that work during her PhD.
The questions driving Caroline’s research include:
- How will New England forest insect communities respond to the arrival of SPB?
- How do forest characteristics impact associated insect communities?
- How do pitch pine trees decline after SPB attack? Which symptoms are visible, and can UAVs (drones) replace time-intensive work on the ground?
Caroline collected the first known specimens of SPB in both New Hampshire and Maine in fall 2021, during routine sampling for one of her chapters. Read more about her discovery here:
- Maine forests at risk after discovery of southern pine beetle in York County by Paul Marino, Maine Public Radio.
- UNH Researchers Discover Destructive Southern Pine Beetle in Northern Forests by Robbin Ray, UNH Today.
Previous Award and Activities
- Second Century Stewardship Fellowship - 2023
- UNH Summer Teaching Assistant Fellowship - 2018
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Grant - 2015
Publications
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Kanaskie CR, Schmeelk TC, Cancelliere JA, Garnas JR. 2023. New records of southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in New York, New Hampshire, and Maine, USA indicate northward range expansion. The Coleopterists Bulletin. 77(2):248-251. doi: 10.1649/0010-065X-77.2.248.
Education
M.Sc.Natural Resources, University of New Hampshire, 2019
B.S. Environmental Science, Dickinson College, 2017
Related Links
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Personal Webpage: https://carolinekanaskie.wixsite.com/home
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckanaskie/
Professional Positions
- Instructor - NR 782/882 – Forest Health (Fall 2023)
- Graduate Assistant - UNH Graduate School Career, Professional, and Community Development team (Fall 2019 - Spring 2023)
- Teaching Assistant - NR 602 - Environmental Policy (Spring 2018, Spring 2019)
- Teaching Assistant - NR 425 - Field Dendrology (Fall 2017, Fall 2018)
