ABOUT US
The Exotic Plant Invasion bio-Control (EPIC)
Laboratory is located in the Plant, Soils, and Entomological
Sciences Department on the College of Agricultural and Life
Sciences at the University of Idaho. The EPIC Laboratory
conducts research on developing and implementing effective
biological control for noxious weeds to protect natural
resources in Idaho and the western U.S. Invasive plants are
considered among the greatest threat to non-agricultural
lands in the western U.S. Exotic plant invasions
significantly impair the ecological integrity through loss
of native plant communities, increased soil erosion,
degradation of wildlife habitat, and alteration of ecosystem
functions. READ MORE...
RESEARCH
My research program focuses on insect-plant interactions, specifically on those between host-specific (specialist) herbivore insects used as biological weed control agents and their respective exotic invasive host plants or noxious weeds. I have focused on three major research areas. The first addresses the need for development and establishment of new biological control agents. The second addresses the similarly important need for quantitative data on the impact of biological control agents. This includes assessments of the efficiency of biological control agents in controlling target weed populations but also of potential adverse effects on nontarget plant species. The third builds on my interest in plant invasion mechanisms. READ MORE....