Are insect herbivores in Eucalyptus globulus/nitens plantations a worsening problem? A multi-region spatio-temporal review of southern Australia

The total area of plantations of Eucalyptus globulus and E. nitens in southern Australia has grown considerably over the last few decades. This has led to predictions of increasing insect pest problems. Accordingly the following research questions were investigated:

1. Are the damage levels from insect herbivores in eucalypt plantations increasing?

2. Are the current significant insect herbivores of E. globulus/nitens plantations the same species as in the past?

3. Have new insect herbivore species recently emerged as pests?

4. Are the insect herbivore species evenly distributed throughout the plantation estate?

5. Are insect herbivore species that have recently emerged as problems in eucalypt plantations expanding their range?