Biography of Frank Koch
Frank Koch is a research ecologist and team leader with the Eastern Threat Center located in Research Triangle Park, NC. His primary area of research is forest pest invasions. Specifically, he is interested in methods to translate species’ biology and behavior into spatially explicit characterizations of invasion risk pattern (i.e., pest risk maps). Frank has contributed to the development of national-scale risk maps for insects such as the sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio) and redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) and pathogens such as Phytophthora ramorum and P. alni. He has also completed research on ways to quantify and represent the effects of uncertainty in invasion risk maps and their underlying models. Frank has been collaborating with other scientists on the use of trade and transportation networks to estimate (human-mediated) invasion likelihoods for specific locations of interest. In related work, he also recently completed quantitative analyses of the risk of forest pest spread across North America in firewood transported by campers. Frank received his B.A. (Art Design / Philosophy, 1993) degree from Duke University and his M.S. (Natural Resources, 2001) and Ph.D. (Forestry, 2005) degrees from North Carolina State University.
Learn more about Frank Koch's work:
Characterizing and quantifying uncertainty in forest pest risk analyses
National-scale risk mapping and modeling for invasive forest pests
View Frank Koch's Eastern Threat Center publications.
Contact Frank Koch at frank.h.koch@usda.gov or (919) 549-4006.
