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A regional assessment of emerald ash borer impacts in the Eastern United States: ash mortality and abundance trends in time and space

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The nonnative insect, emerald ash borer (Agrilus plannipennis Fairmaire), has caused extensive mortality of ash tree species (Fraxinus spp.) in the eastern United States. As of 2012, the pest had been detected in about 15 percent of the counties in the 37 states that comprise the natural range of ash in forests of the eastern United States. Here we use regional forest inventory data from the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program to quantify ash mortality, volume, and standing dead tree abundance relative to the year of initial emerald ash borer detection. Results from remeasured plots indicate that the annual ash mortality rate increases dramatically over the background level several years after initial invasion of the pest into a county. The corresponding decrease in ash volume and increase in standing dead trees continues for several more years until the live ash resource is reduced to very low levels in local areas.

Parent Publication

Citation

Morin, Randall S.; Pugh, Scott A.; Liebhold, Andrew M.; Crocker, Susan J. 2015. A regional assessment of emerald ash borer impacts in the Eastern United States: ash mortality and abundance trends in time and space. In: Stanton, Sharon M.; Christensen, Glenn A., comps. 2015. Pushing boundaries: new directions in inventory techniques and applications: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2015. 2015 December 8–10; Portland, Oregon. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-931. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 233-236.
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/50352