Sam Ward

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Sam Ward

Assistant Professor of Forest Entomology

ward.1792@osu.edu

http://www.leafelab.com

614-292-3286

Office:

408C Kottman Hall (lab: Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Lab, Waterman Farm)

2021 Coffey Rd, Columbus OH 43210

Professional Information

Degrees & Credentials:

Ph.D. Entomology (Minor: Biostatistics), University of Minnesota (2018)

M.S. Entomology, University of Minnesota (2014)

B.S. Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity (Minor: Spanish), University of California, Davis (2010)

Research Area(s):

Ecology and management of forest insects

Insect responses to climate change

Applied research on pests of woody ornamentals

Biography:

Sam started as an Assistant Professor of Forest Entomology at Ohio State Entomology in July 2023. After completing his Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Minnesota, Sam spent two years as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University. From 2020-2023, Sam was an Assistant Professor of Insect Ecology in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology at Mississippi State University.

Sam’s research group (Landscaped Ecosystem and Forest Entomology Lab; LEAFE Lab) studies the ecology and management of insects that feed on trees. They work on a variety of topics across multiple spatial and temporal scales, ranging from biological control of ornamental pests to macroscale ecology of invading forest insects. Most projects are aimed at understanding drivers of the arrival, establishment, and spread of non-native insects (invading species and imported biological control agents), with a particular emphasis on mitigating ecological and economic impacts of invaders. Other themes in the lab include the spatial ecology of arthropods, tree and insect responses to climate change, and ecoinformatics.

Sam’s office is located in Kottman Hall, his lab is based at the Rothenbuhler Honey Bee lab on the Waterman Farm. He can be reached at ward.1792@osu.edu.

Documents:

SFWARD_CV_2023.pdf

Works

PUBLICATIONS

Sabet A, E Dalliance, ME Embers, SF Ward, and J Goddard. In Press. Attempt at artificial infection of Cimex lectularius with Bartonella henselae. Journal of Entomological Science.

Ward SF and JJ Riggins. 2023. Drivers of invasion by a tree-killing, vector-disease complex (laurel wilt) across the southeastern US. Landscape Ecology (38) 567–581.

Ward SF, EG Brockerhoff, RM Turner, T Yamanaka, L Marini, S Fei, and AM Liebhold. 2023. Prevalence and drivers of a tree-killing bark beetle, Ips typographus (L.) (Coleoptera, Scolytinae), in international invasion pathways. Journal of Pest Science (96) 845–856.

Trombik J, SF Ward, AL Norrbom and AM Liebhold. 2023. Global drivers of historical true fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) invasions. Journal of Pest Science (96) 345-357.

Ward SF, AM Liebhold, and S Fei. 2022. Variable effects of forest diversity on invasions by non-native pests. Biodiversity and Conservation (31) 2575–2586.

Huang M, A Jones, A Sabet, J Masters, N Deering, SF Ward, and J Goddard. 2021. Questing behavior of adult Amblyomma americanum (L.) in a laboratory setting. Systematic and Applied Acarology (26) 2303-2310.

Cook RT, SF Ward, AM Liebhold, and S Fei. 2021. Spatial dynamics of spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, invasion of the Northeast United States. NeoBiota (70) 23-42.

Mally R, SF Ward, J Trombik, J Buszko, V Medzihorský, and AM Liebhold. 2021. Non-native plant drives the spatial dynamics of its herbivores: the case of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) in Europe. NeoBiota (69) 155-175.

Ward SF, AM Liebhold, RS Morin, and S Fei. 2021. Population dynamics of ash across the eastern USA following invasion by emerald ash borer. Forest Ecology and Management (479) 118574.

Ward SF, BS Taylor, K-A Dixon Hamil, KH Riiters, and S Fei. 2020. Effects of terrestrial transport corridors and associated landscape context on invasion by forest plants. Biological Invasions (22) 3051-3066.

Ward SF, BH Aukema, AM Liebhold, and S Fei. 2020. Warm temperatures increase population growth of a non‐native defoliator and inhibit demographic responses by parasitoids. Ecology (101) e03156.

Greimann ES, SF Ward, JD Woodell, S Hennessey, MR Kline, JA Moreno, M Peters, JL Cruise, KL Montooth, M Neiman, J Sharbrough. 2020. Phenotypic variation in mitochondria-related performance traits across New Zealand snail populations. Integrative and Comparative Biology (60) 275-287.

Ward SF, S Fei, and AM Liebhold. 2020. Temporal dynamics and drivers of landscape-level spread by emerald ash borer. Journal of Applied Ecology (57) 1020-1030.

Ward SF, AM Kees, RC Venette, and BH Aukema. 2020. Allopatric populations of the invasive larch casebearer differ in cold tolerance and phenology. Ecological Entomology (45) 55-66.

Ward, SF, AM Liebhold, and S Fei. 2019. Spatial patterns of discovery points and invasion hotspots of non‐native forest pests. Global Ecology and Biogeography (28) 1749-1762.

Ward SF, RD Moon, and BH Aukema. 2019. Implications of seasonal and annual heat accumulation for population dynamics of an invasive defoliator. Oecologia (190) 703-714.

Ward SF, DA Herms, RD Moon, and BH Aukema. 2019. Determinants and consequences of plant-insect phenological synchrony for a non-native herbivore on a deciduous conifer: implications for invasion success. Oecologia (190) 867-878.

Ward SF, AM Kees, MP Maddox III, RA Montgomery, and BH Aukema. 2019. The role of simulated spring water stress in interactions between eastern larch and larch casebearer. Arthropod-Plant Interactions (13) 621-633.

Ward SF and BH Aukema. 2019. Anomalous outbreaks of an invasive defoliator and native bark beetle facilitated by warm temperatures, changes in precipitation, and interspecific interactions. Ecography (42) 1068-1078.

Ward SF, RC Venette, and BH Aukema. 2019. Cold tolerance of the invasive larch casebearer and implications to invasion success. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (21) 88-98.

Ward SF and BH Aukema. 2019. Climatic synchrony and increased outbreaks in allopatric populations of an invasive defoliator. Biological Invasions (21) 685-691.

Knott J, E LaRue, S Ward, E McCallen, K Ordonez, F Wagner, I Jo, J Elliott and S Fei. 2019. A roadmap for exploring the thematic content of ecology journals. Ecosphere (10) e02801.

Boley SP, TD Olives, SA Bangh, S Fahrner, and JB Cole. 2019. Physostigmine is superior to non-antidote therapy in the management of antimuscarinic delirium: a prospective study from a regional poison center. Clinical Toxicology (57) 50-55.

Fahrner S and BH Aukema. 2018. Correlates of spread rates for introduced insects. Global Ecology and Biogeography (27) 734-743.

Fahrner SJ, MA Abrahamson, RC Venette, and BH Aukema. 2017. Strategic removal of host trees in isolated, satellite infestations of emerald ash borer can reduce population growth. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening (24) 184-194.

Fahrner SJ, J Albers, M Albers, T Lanigan, R Murphy, KF Raffa, and BH Aukema. 2016. Oviposition and feeding on red pine by jack pine budworm at a previously unrecorded scale. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (18) 214-222.

Fahrner SJ, JP Lelito, and BH Aukema. 2015. The influence of temperature on the flight capacity of Agrilus planipennis and its parasitoid, Tetrastichus planipennisi: implications to biological control. BioControl (60) 437-449.

Fahrner SJ, JP Lelito, K Blaedow, GE Heimpel, and BH Aukema. 2014. Factors affecting the flight capacity of Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a classical biological control agent of emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Environmental Entomology (43) 1603-1612.

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