On the underside of a beech leaf, there may be small, white clumps that look like cotton candy. Upon closer look, these sticky fibers encase wriggling insects harming the tree's health – and potentially the surrounding ecosystem. The University of Delaware's Delphis F. Levia, associate professor in the Department of Geography with a secondary appointment in plant and soil sciences, recently received a Humboldt Research Fellowship to examine the effects of these tree-damaging insects on forests and the water that flows through them. "Whether insects, droughts, hurricanes or climate change, all of these things cause stress on our forests," Levia said. "Our aim is to better understand how pest infestations affect the rainfall that passes through foliage, down tree trunks and into the watershed." more >>