Dr. Eschen René

Mon, 11/26/2018 - 08:36
Expertise
Invasive alien species, forest pests and diseases, international trade in live plants
Institution information

CABI, Rue des grillons 1, CH-2800 Delémont, Switzerland

Civic and professional organizations

Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 7.03.12 – Alien invasive species and international trade

Educational background
  • MSc Ecology
  • PhD Ecology
Current research

Livelihood impacts of alien tree species in Eastern Africa – www.woodyweeds.org

Biography

René is an ecologist, working on plants, invertebrates, soil microorganisms, fungal endophytes and mycorrhizas, broadly in the fields of invasion ecology and ecosystem services, with a special interest in the relationship between alien tree pests and diseases and international trade. He has an MSc from the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and a PhD from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). René is coordinator of the Working Party on “Alien invasive species and international trade", of the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations.

Featured publications
  1. Eschen, R., O'Hanlon, R., Santini, A., Vannini, A., Roques, A., Kirichenko, N. and Kenis, M. (in review) Safeguarding global plant health: the rise of sentinels. Journal of Pest Science 92: 29-36. doi:10.1007/s10340-018-1041-6
  2. Kenis, M., Li, H. Fan, J.-T., Courtial, B., Auger-Rozenberg, M.-A., Yart, A., Eschen, R. and Roques, A. (2018). Sentinel nurseries to assess the phytosanitary risks posed by importations of live plants. Scientific Reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-29551-y
  3. Vettraino, A.M., Li, H.-M., Eschen, R., Morales-Rodriguez, C., Vannini, A. (2017) The sentinel tree nursery as an early warning system for pathway risk assessment: Fungal pathogens associated with Chinese woody plants commonly shipped to Europe. PLoS ONE 12(11): e0188800.
  4. Eschen, R., Douma, J.C., Grégoire, J.-C., Mayer, F., Rigaux, L., Potting, R.P.J. (2017) A risk categorisation and analysis of the geographic and temporal dynamics of the European import of plants for planting. Biological Invasions. doi: DOI 10.1007/s10530-017-1465-6
  5. Kenis, M., Adriaens, T., Brown, P.M.J., Katsanis, A., San Martin, G., Branquart, E., Maes, D., Eschen, R., Zindel, R., Van Vlaenderen, J., Babendreier, D., Roy, H.E., Hautier, L., Poland, R.L. (2016) Assessing the ecological risk posed by a recently established invasive alien predator: Harmonia axyridis as a case study. BioControl. doi: 0.1007/s10526-016-9764-x
  6. Marzano, M., Dandy, N., Papazova-Anakieva, I., Avtzis, D., Connolly, T., Eschen, R., Glavendekić, M., Hurley, B., Lindelöw, Å., Matošević, D., Tomov, R. Vettraino, A.M. (2016) Assessing awareness of tree pests and pathogens amongst tree professionals: A pan-European perspective. Forest Policy and Economics 70: 164-171.
  7. Roy, H.E., Brown, P.M.J., Adriaens, T., Berkvens, N., Borges, I., Clusella-Trullas, S., Comont, R.F., De Clercq, P., Eschen, R., Estoup, A., Evans, A.E., Facon, B., Gardiner, M.M., Gil, A., Grez, A.A., Guillemaud, T., Haelewaters, D., Herz, A., Honek, A., Howe, A.G., Hui, C., Hutchison, W.D., Kenis, M., Koch, R.L., Kulfan, J., Lawson Handley, L., Lombaert, E., Loomans, A., Losey, J., Lukashuk, A.O., Maes, D., Magro, A., Murray, K.M., San Martin, G., Martinkova, Z., Minnaar, I.A., Nedved, O., Orlova-Bienkowskaja, M.J., Osawa, N., Rabitsch, W., Ravn, H.P., Rondoni, G., Rorke, S.L., Ryndevich, S.K., Saethre, M.-G., Sloggett, J.J., Soares, A.O., Stals, R., Tinsley, M.C., Vandereycken, A., Van Wielink, P., Viglášová, S., Zach, P., Zakharov, .I.A., Zaviezo, T., Zhao, Z. (2016) The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis: global perspectives on invasion history and ecology. Biological Invasions 18: 997-1044.
  8. Kenis, M., Tonina, L. Eschen, R., Van der Sluis, B., Sancassani, M., Mori, N., Haye, T., Helsen, H. (2016) Updated list of non-crop plants used as hosts by Drosophila suzukii in Europe. Journal of Pest Science.
  9. Essl, F., Bacher, S., Blackburn, T.M., Booy, O., Brundu, G., Brunel, S., Cardoso, A.-C., Eschen, R., Gallardo, B., Galil, B., García-Berthou, E., Genovesi, P., Groom, Q., Harrower, C., Hulme, P.E., Katsanevakis, S., Marc Kenis, M., Kühn, I., Kumschick, S., Martinou, A.F., Nentwig, W., O’Flynn, C., Pagad, S., Pergl, J., Pyšek, P., Rabitsch, W., Richardson, D.M., Roques, A., Roy, H.E., Scalera, R., Schindler, S., Seebens, H., Vanderhoeven, S., Vilà, M., Wilson, J.R.U., Zenetos, A., Jeschke, J.M. (2015) Crossing frontiers in tackling pathways of biological invasions. BioScience 65: 769-782 doi: 10.1093/biosci/biv082
  10. Eschen, R., Britton, K., Brockerhoff, E., Burgess, T., Dalley, V., Epanchin-Niell, R.S., Gupta, K., Hardy, G., Huang, Y., Kenis, M., Kimani, E., Li, H.-M., Olsen, S., Ormrod, R., Otieno, W., Sadof, C., Tadeu, E. and Theyse, M. 2015. International variation in phytosanitary legislation and regulations governing importation of live plants. Environmental Science and Policy 51: 228-237
  11. Eschen, R., Grégoire, J.-C., Hengeveld, G.M., de Hoop, M.B., Rigaux, L. and Potting, R.P.J. Trade patterns of the tree nursery industry in Europe and changes therein following findings of citrus longhorn beetle, Anoplophora chinensis Forster. Neobiota 26: 1-20
  12. Eschen, R., Rigaux, L., Sukovata, L., Vettraino, A.-M., Marzano, M. and Grégoire, J.-C. 2015. Phytosanitary inspection of woody plants for planting at European Union entry points - a practical enquiry. Biological Invasions 17: 2403-2413. DOI 10.1007/s10530-015-0883-6.
  13. Eschen, R., Roques, A. and Santini, A. 2015 Taxonomic dissimilarity in patterns of interception and establishment of alien arthropods, nematodes and pathogens affecting woody plants in Europe. Diversity and Distributions 21: 36-45.
  14. Hartley, S.E., Eschen, R., Horwood, J.M., Gange, A.C. and Hill, E.M. 2015. Infection by a foliar endophyte elicits novel arabidopside-based plant defence reactions in its host, Cirsium arvense. New Phytologist 205: 816-827.
  15. Eschen, R., Holmes, T., Smith, D., Roques, A., Santini, A. and Kenis, M. 2014. Likelihood of establishment of tree pests and diseases based on their worldwide occurrence as determined by hierarchical cluster analysis. Forest Ecology and Management 315: 103-111.
  16. Worner, S.P., Gevrey, M., Eschen, R., Kenis, M., Paini, D., Singh, S., Suiter, K. and Watts, M.J. 2013. Self-organising maps and other methodologies for pest prioritisation. Neobiota: 18: 83-102
  17. Tanner, R.A., Varia, S., Eschen, R., Wood, S., Murphy, S.T. and Gange, A.C. 2013. Impacts of an invasive non-native annual weed, Impatiens glandulifera, on aboveground and belowground invertebrate communities in the United Kingdom. PLoS One 8: e67271
  18. Eschen, R., Müller-Schärer, H. and Schaffner, U. 2013. Plant interspecific differences in arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization as a result of soil carbon addition. Mycorrhiza 23: 61-70.
  19. Schaffner, U. Alewell, C., Eschen, R., Matties, D., Spiegelberger, T. and Hegg, O. 2012. Calcium Induces Long-Term Legacy Effects in a Subalpine Ecosystem. PLoS One 7: e51818.
  20. Clewley, G.D., Eschen, R., Shaw, R.H., Wright, D.J. 2012. The effectiveness of classical biological control of invasive plants. Journal of Applied Ecology 49: 1287-1295.
  21. Roy, H.E., Adriaens, T., Isaac, N.J.B., Kenis,M., Onkelinx, T., San Martin, G., Brown, P.M.J., Hautier, L., Poland, R., Roy, D.B., Comont, R., Eschen, R., Frost, R., Zindel, R., Van Vlaenderen, J., Nedvěd, O., Ravn, H.P., Grégoire, J.-C., de Biseau, J.-C., Maes, D. 2012. Invasive alien predator causes rapid declines of native European ladybirds. Diversity and Distributions 18: 717-725.
  22. Gange, A., Eschen, R., Wearn, J., Thawer, A. and Sutton, B. 2012. Differential effects of foliar endophytic fungi on insect herbivores attacking a herbaceous plant. Oecologia 168: 1023-1031.
  23. Eschen, R., Brook, A.J., Maczey, N., Bradbury, A., Mayo, A., Watts, P., Wheeler, K., Peach, W.J. 2012. Effects of reduced grazing intensity on pasture vegetation and invertebrates. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 151: 53-60.
  24. Reidinger. S., Eschen, R., Gange, A., Finch, P. and Bezemer, T. 2012. Arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization, plant chemistry, and aboveground herbivory on Senecio jacobaea. Acta Oecologica 38: 8-16.
  25. Eschen, R., Hunt, S., Mykura, C., Gange, A.C. and Sutton, B.C. 2010. Arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and soil nutrient content affect the foliar endophytic fungal community composition in Cirsium arvense L. Fungal Biology 114: 991-998.
  26. Eschen, R., Müller-Schärer, H. and Schaffner, U. 2009. Aboveground environment type, soil nutrient content and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi explain establishment success of Centaurea jacea on ex-arable land and in late-successional grasslands. Plant and Soil 322: 115-123.
  27. Eschen, R., Babendreier, D., Nauer, S., Bigler, F. and Kenis, M. 2007. Surveys for ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Switzerland and confirmation of the presence of the invasive alien ladybird species, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 80: 7-14.
  28. Töpfer, S., Ellsbury, M.M., Eschen, R., Kuhlmann, U. 2007. Spatial clustering of Diabrotica vigifera vigifera and Agriotes ustulatus in small scale maize fields without topographic relief drift Entomologia Expermentalis et Applicata 124: 61-75.
  29. Girardoz, S., Tomov, R., Eschen, R., Quicke, D.L.J. and Kenis, M. 2007. Two methods to assess the mortality factors affecting larvae and pupae of Cameraria ohridella in leaves of Aesculus hippocastanum in Switzerland and Bulgaria. Bulletin of Entomological Research 97: 1-9.
  30. Eschen, R., Mortimer, S.R., Lawson, C.S., Edwards, A.R., Brook, A.J., Igual, J.M., Hedlund, K. and Schaffner, U. 2007. Carbon addition alters early succession on ex-arable fields. Journal of Applied Ecology 44: 95-104.
  31. Eschen R., Schaffner U. and Müller-Schärer H. 2006. Soil carbon addition affects plant growth in a species-specific way. Journal of Applied Ecology 43: 35-42.
Contact information

Email: r.eschen@cabi.org

Forests and Forest-based Products for a Greener Future