CFS and UNBC logos Picture of Brian Aukema by Goat River, BC with email and phone number

Welcome!

I am a research scientist with the Pacific Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service [CFS profile ]. My research program focuses on the landscape ecology of forest insects, primarily bark beetles, with special emphasis on linking patterns observed across space and through time to individual- and community-level processes. Within forest entomology, this incorporates fields of study such as plant-insect and predator-prey interactions, population dynamics, chemical ecology, and biometry, the application of statistical tools to novel ecological questions therein. Linking pattern and process across scales touches on a number of topics in natural resource management, such as insect outbreaks and disturbances, dispersal, sampling, changing climate, invasion biology, and biological control.

My program is based at the University of Northern British Columbia where I am an Assistant Professor (adjunct) within Natural Resources and Environmental Studies and the Ecosystem and Management Program.

If you are interested in graduate studies, training, or exploring collaborations with my program, please .

Education and background

2006-Present Research Scientist, Canadian Forest Service
Assistant Professor (Adjunct), University of Northern British Columbia
2004-2005 Visiting Fellow, Pacific Forestry Centre, Canadian For. Service (Dr. Allan Carroll)
Research Associate, Entomology, University of Wisconsin (Dr. Kenneth Raffa)
1999-2003 PhD, Entomology, University of Wisconsin (Dr. Kenneth Raffa)
MS, Biometry/Statistics, University of Wisconsin (Dr. Murray Clayton)
1997-1999 MS, Entomology, University of Wisconsin (Dr. Kenneth Raffa)

Selected publications

2010 Klingenberg, M.D., Lindgren, B.S., Gillingham, M.P., and Brian H. Aukema. Management response to one insect pest may increase vulnerability to another. Journal of Applied Ecology 47: 566-574. [386 KB ]
2008 Aukema, B.H., Carroll, A.L., Zheng, Y., Zhu, J., Raffa, K.F., Moore, R.D., Stahl, K., and S.W. Taylor. Movement of outbreak populations of mountain pine beetle: Influence of spatiotemporal patterns and climate. Ecography 31: 348-358. [518 KB ]
2008 Raffa, K.F., Aukema, B.H., Bentz, B.J., Carroll, A.L., Hicke, J.A., Turner, M.G., and W. Romme. Cross-scale drivers of natural disturbances prone to anthropogenic amplification: Dynamics of biome-wide bark beetle eruptions. BioScience 58: 501-517. [6.0 MB ]
2006 Aukema, B.H., Carroll, A.L., Zhu, J., Raffa, K.F., Sickley, T.A., and S.W. Taylor. Landscape level analysis of mountain pine beetle in British Columbia, Canada: Spatiotemporal development and spatial synchrony within the present outbreak. Ecography 29: 427-441. [366 KB ]
2004 Aukema, B.H., and K.F. Raffa. Does aggregation benefit bark beetles by diluting predation? Links between a group-colonization strategy and the absence of multiple predator effects. Ecological Entomology 29(2): 129-138. [296 KB ]
2002 Aukema, B.H., and K.F. Raffa. Relative effects of exophytic predation, endophytic predation, and intraspecific competition on a subcortical herbivore: Consequences to the reproduction of Ips pini and Thanasimus dubius. Oecologia 133(4): 483-491. [265 KB ]
2000 Aukema, B.H., Dahlsten, D.L., and K.F. Raffa. Improved population monitoring of bark beetles and predators by incorporating disparate behavioral responses to semiochemicals. Environmental Entomology 29: 618-629. [215 KB ]

A complete list of peer-reviewed publications can be found here.

Lab News & Events

New Landscapes! In August, we will be relocating to the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota. Details

14 June 10

How close is too close? Here's a fun little paper from an undergraduate study

9-12 June 10

We were happy to host Dr. Michael Müller, Chair of Forest Protection at Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany and explore issues in forest entomology around Prince George

9 June 10

Two new papers in this month's issue of Environmental Entomology on topics of chemical ecology and insect dispersal

18 May 10

Virginia Gewin recently contributed to Frontiers a nice synopsis of our work on Warren root collar weevil that recently appeared in J Applied Ecology

05 May 10

Congrats to Fraser McKee, who defended his MSc and passed with flying colours. Next stop? U Minnesota for a PhD!

12 Apr 10

Congrats to Laura, who was awarded a travel scholarship to visit Swedish Agricultural University and learn about insect tracking! Her weevils will miss her from May 15-25.

5-9 Apr 10

Brian, Laura, and Ewing are presenting work at the Western Forest Insect Work Conference in Flagstaff, AZ