International associated laboratory (LIA)

International Associate Laboratory (LIA) Franco-Chinese IFOPE

中 法 欧 亚 森 林 入 侵 生 物 联 合 实 验 室

Following many years of collaboration between INRAE and Chinese teams in the field of forest insects, the LIA IFOPE (Invasive FOrest Pests affecting biodiversity and forest Ecosystems in Eurasia), was launched in October 2018 by the CEO of INRAE and the representative of the Beijing Forest University (BFU) to consolidate the Forest Zoology Research Unit of INRAE Orléans and the Beijing Key Laboratory of Forest Pest Control of BFU. The creation of this LIA aimed to make a qualitative leap in collaboration, going beyond mere bilateral relations, to set up a common research strategy allowing to study sub-mechanismsthe accelerated occurrence of insect invasions affecting forest trees in Europe and Asia. Beyond the development of knowledge in invasion ecology, this was all the more important for Europe as the majority of invasive species on the continent are now native to China, with ornamental trade as the main vector. The priority themes set out by the Franco-Chinese Joint Scientific and Technological Committee (CoMix) include environment and climate change among the seven areas identified to strengthen bilateral scientific cooperation, by supporting joint Franco-Chinese research structures. Aiming to study the mechanisms underlying insect invasions affecting forest trees in Europe and Asia, including their possible facilitation by climate change, the LIA IFOPE has been at the heart of this environmental preservation problem.

This LIA has just been renewed for four years, from 2024 to 2028, involving other units of the INRAE (Montpellier, Avignon) and the University of Orléans on the French side, and several other universities in Zhejiang, Hebei and Xinjiang on the Chinese side. The main goal is to define tools for predicting potentially invasive species before they arrive in Europe and for early detection of these species upon arrival, with reciprocity of course for the same process regarding China. At the scientific level, the proposed studies are structured around four main actions:

- The development of a method for identifying potentially invasive insect species in France (Europe) and China through a strategy of cross-planted sentinels of woody plants in both countries;

- the large-scale testing of generic traps for xylophagous insect species to define a method for early detection of exotic arrival in potential ports of entry, forest catches in China and France indicating this detection potential; the first results have allowed the implementation of a protocol for detecting invasions in force in French ports since 2022

- Joint studies on the ecology and genetics of major invasive species related to woody trees, either from Europe to China or from China to Europe, with the objective of tracing their routes of invasion;

- comparative analysis of insect invasions in Europe and China and their associated parameters (origin, associated commodities, invaded habitat, etc).

Scientific exchanges include the annual holding of seminars or symposia open to other teams, hosting several Chinese PhD students and post-docs in France and vice versa, and joint writing of articles on the 4 scientific topics mentioned belowFor publication in international journals. Six joint publications, all LIA IFOPE, were produced in international journals of importance for the ecology of invasion and entomology disciplines, while two joint papers were made at world-wide conferences.