Woody plants in urban landscapes provide many services for people, wildlife, and the environment. Research and Extension efforts in my lab also focus on insect ecology and arboriculture in urban environments.

We are particularly interested in how features of urban landscapes like heat, drought, and surrounding vegetation affect woody plants and the insects that live and feed on them. Our ultimate goal is to develop more sustainable strategies for urban tree selection, insect pest management, and biodiversity conservation in urban ecosystems.

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Related extension publications:

An IPM framework for sustainable urban tree planting and landscape design [PDF]

The ‘Pace to Plant’ technique [PDF]

Related research publications:

Dale AG, Frank SD. 2022. Water availability determines tree growth and physiological response to biotic and abiotic stress in a temperate North American urban forest. Forests. 13, 1012. https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071012

Parsons SE, Ferzli M, Aune P, Dale AG. 2022. Exploring plant-insect interactions year-round through field sampling. The American Biology Teacher. 84 (6), 360-364.

Nighswander GP*, Sinclair JS, Dale AG, Qiu J, Iannone III BV. 2021. Importance of plant diversity and structure for urban garden pest resistance. Landscape and Urban Planning. 215, 104211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104211

Just MG, Dale AG, Frank SD. 2020. Gloomy scale (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) ecology and management on landscape trees. Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 11(1), 24.

Borden MA*, Dale AG. 2020. Native and edible ornamental plant congeners enhance ecosystem services through key pest avoidance and multifunctionality in residential landscapes. Environmental Entomology. 49(5), 1206-1213. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa099

Just MG, Dale AG, Long LC, Frank SD. 2019. Urbanization drives unique latitudinal patterns of insect herbivory and tree condition. Oikos. 128(7), 984-993. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.05874

Just MG, Frank SD, Dale AG. 2018. Impervious surface thresholds for urban tree site selection. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 34, 141-146.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.06.008

Dale AG, Frank SD. 2018. Urban plants and climate drive unique arthropod interactions with unpredictable consequences. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 29, 27-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2018.06.001

Dale AG, Frank SD. 2017. What makes tree pests more successful? Environmental Science Journal for Kids. 6/16/17. http://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-makes-tree-pests-more-successful

Dale AG, Frank SD. 2017. Warming and drought combine to increase pest insect fitness on urban trees. PLoS ONE 12(3): e0173844. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173844. Dale&Frank_2017

Dale AG, Youngsteadt E, Frank SD. 2016. Forecasting the effects of heat and pests on urban trees: Impervious surface thresholds and the ‘Pace to Plant’ technique. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 42(3) 181-191. Dale_etal_2016

Dale AG, Frank SD. 2014. Urban warming trumps natural enemy regulation of herbivorous pests. Ecological Applications. 24(7), 1596-1607. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-1961.1.  Dale&Frank_2014b

Youngsteadt E, Dale AG, Terando A, Dunn RR, Frank SD. 2014. Do cities simulate climate change? A comparison of herbivore response to urban and global warming. Global Change Biology. 21(1), 97-105. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12692. youngsteadt-etal_2014

Dale AG, Frank SD. 2014. The effects of urban warming on herbivore abundance and street tree condition. PLOS One. 9(7), e102996. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102996. Dale&Frank_2014