The double-edged sword of modern connectivity strikes again in the form of harmful insects and pathogens that invade non-native habitats. The Northeastern United States, which has essentially acted as HQ for international trade since before this country was founded, has suffered its fair share of invasive pests, most notably the East Asian Beatle, the Zebra Mussel, and the emerald ash borer (EAB). The emerald ash borer is native to Asia and alone is responsible for the deaths of over 20 million ash trees in Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, according to the USDA Forest Service website. This pest has incurred tens of millions of dollars of damage in national forests and on private property since it’s discover in Michigan in 2002.
Surprisingly, the adult EAB is relatively harmless: it feeds on the foliage of ash trees but hardly causes fatal damage. It is the larval stage of the EAB that bores through the soft inner bark of ash trees, damages the tree’s hydraulic system by destroying xylem and floem cells. The trees lose their ability to transport water up their trunks and die, essentially, of thirst.
The adult emerald ash borer is smaller than a penny, so it can easily be transported unknowingly in dead timber, firewood, or transported trees or plants. Despite its size, this invasive pest is responsible for the death of 20 million ash trees in Eastern US forests.
The spread of invasive species like the EAB is the result of seemingly innocuous practices on the part of recreational and commercial forest-users alike. The EAB is tiny (the adult is significantly smaller than a penny; see photo below) and can travel in dead wood or live trees/plants to new territory. Once the EAB establishes a presence in a new area, there is little that can be done to protect ash trees.
If you pack your own firewood instead of purchasing it where you hunt or camp, you may be giving pests a free ride to new territory.
The USDA has enacted quarantines on ash trees and other hardwoods in known EAB infested areas. They have enacted fines on anyone who transports wood products out of known infested areas. Additionally, they suggest that campers and hunters declare all firewood they bring with them when entering a state forest. This practice, obviously, has its shortcomings, as people are more than likely to transport firewood to privately owned forests where their firewood will not be monitored.
Luckily, scientists are investigating the introduction of a newly minted strain of ash trees that are resistant to the EAB into Northeastern forests. Recent research also suggests that extreme cold temperatures may knock out the larval EAB. However, a long-term solution to this growing issue remains out of reach.
Spread of Invasive Insects and Pathogens Threatens Northeastern Hardwoods
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Posted on April 22, 2014 by adgrant
The double-edged sword of modern connectivity strikes again in the form of harmful insects and pathogens that invade non-native habitats. The Northeastern United States, which has essentially acted as HQ for international trade since before this country was founded, has suffered its fair share of invasive pests, most notably the East Asian Beatle, the Zebra Mussel, and the emerald ash borer (EAB). The emerald ash borer is native to Asia and alone is responsible for the deaths of over 20 million ash trees in Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, according to the USDA Forest Service website. This pest has incurred tens of millions of dollars of damage in national forests and on private property since it’s discover in Michigan in 2002.
Surprisingly, the adult EAB is relatively harmless: it feeds on the foliage of ash trees but hardly causes fatal damage. It is the larval stage of the EAB that bores through the soft inner bark of ash trees, damages the tree’s hydraulic system by destroying xylem and floem cells. The trees lose their ability to transport water up their trunks and die, essentially, of thirst.
The spread of invasive species like the EAB is the result of seemingly innocuous practices on the part of recreational and commercial forest-users alike. The EAB is tiny (the adult is significantly smaller than a penny; see photo below) and can travel in dead wood or live trees/plants to new territory. Once the EAB establishes a presence in a new area, there is little that can be done to protect ash trees.
The USDA has enacted quarantines on ash trees and other hardwoods in known EAB infested areas. They have enacted fines on anyone who transports wood products out of known infested areas. Additionally, they suggest that campers and hunters declare all firewood they bring with them when entering a state forest. This practice, obviously, has its shortcomings, as people are more than likely to transport firewood to privately owned forests where their firewood will not be monitored.
Luckily, scientists are investigating the introduction of a newly minted strain of ash trees that are resistant to the EAB into Northeastern forests. Recent research also suggests that extreme cold temperatures may knock out the larval EAB. However, a long-term solution to this growing issue remains out of reach.
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/#sthash.NG2OSUmR.dpbs
http://na.fs.fed.us/firewood/
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