Managing for Emerald Ash Borer in the Urban Forest
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Lakehead University Knowledge Commons,http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca Electronic Theses and Dissertations Electronic Theses and Dissertations from 2009 2015 Managing for Emerald Ash Borer in the urban forest Winmill, Allison http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/713 Downloaded from Lakehead University, KnowledgeCommons MANAGING FOR EMERALD ASH BORER IN THE URBAN FOREST By: Allison Winmill FACULTY OF NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO September 22, 2015 MANAGING FOR EMERALD ASH BORER IN THE URBAN FOREST By Allison Winmill A Masters Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements Of the Degree of Master of Science in Forestry Faculty of Natural Resources Management Lakehead University September 22, 2015 iii LIBRARY RIGHTS STATEMENT In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MScF degree at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, I agree that the University will make it freely available for inspection. This thesis is made available by my authority solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part (except as permitted by the Copyright Laws) without my written authority. Signature: Date: iv A CAUTION TO THE READER This MScF thesis has been through a formal process of review and comment by at least two faculty members and an external reviewer. It is made available for loan by the Faculty of Natural Resources Management for the purpose of advancing the practice of professional and scientific forestry. The reader should be aware that opinions and conclusions expressed in this document are those of the student and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of either the thesis supervisor, committee members, external reviewer, the faculty or Lakehead University. v Contents FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................... 1 STUDY OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................. 3 LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................................. 4 Chapter 1: Urban Forestry ......................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Ash in the urban forest ........................................................................................... 11 Chapter 3: Emerald Ash Borer ................................................................................................. 16 Chapter 4: EAB in North America ........................................................................................... 23 Chapter 5: Management for EAB ............................................................................................ 34 Chapter 6: What does this mean for other places? ................................................................... 50 Chapter 7: Community Engagement ........................................................................................ 54 METHODS .................................................................................................................................. 65 The Town of Oakville - Urban Forest Health Volunteer Program .......................................... 65 City of Barrie – Ash inventory and application to community engagement ............................ 72 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 75 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................. 87 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................................ 97 APPENDICIES .......................................................................................................................... 108 APPENDIX I ......................................................................................................................... 109 APPENDIX II ........................................................................................................................ 115 APPENDIX III ....................................................................................................................... 117 APPENIDX IV....................................................................................................................... 123 APPENIDX V ........................................................................................................................ 124 APPENDIX VI....................................................................................................................... 127 vi FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1. Adult emerald ash borer 18 Figure 2. D-shaped exit hole of emerald ash borer 19 Figure 3. Emerald ash borer larva 20 Figure 4. Serpentine galleries of emerald ash borer 21 Figure 5. A tree exhibiting symptoms of emerald ash borer 22 Figure 6. CFIA Emerald ash borer regulated areas of Canada 2013 26 Figure 7. CFIA emerald ash borer regulated areas of Canada as of April 1, 2014 27 Figure 8. USDA initial county EAB detections in North America as of May 1 2015 28 Figure 9. Distribution of most common Fraxinus spp. in North America 32 Figure 10. Example of survey atlas assigned to individual volunteers 68 Figure 11. Example of an individual 150m2 cell to be surveyed 69 Figure 12. Oakville forest health volunteer program appreciation night 72 Figure 13. Location of Barrie, Ontario 73 Figure 14. Inventory sites in City of Barrie 73 Figure 15. GPS mapping inventoried trees 75 Figure 16. Trees surveyed in Oakville forest health volunteer program 2014 77 vii Figure 17. Species composition of six streets inventoried in the City of Barrie 79 Figure 18. Species distribution by street in City of Barrie 79 Figure 19. Distribution of green and white ash in City of Barrie sample street tree inventory 80 Figure 20. Ash component and of inventoried streets in City of Barrie 81 Figure 21. Signs and symptoms recorded on ash trees in City of Barrie 82 Figure 22. Observed signs and symptoms of EAB 82 Figure 23. Ground zero for EAB infestation in the City of Barrie on Taylor Drive 83 Figure 24. Ground zero for EAB: Taylor Drive, City of Barrie 84 Figure 25. Early signs of yellowing crowns on Kenwell Cresent, City of Barrie 84 Figure 26. False colour infrared aerial photograph of Kenwell Crescent with surveyed ash trees 86 Figure 27. Surveyed ash trees in the City of Barrie 87 Figure 28. Anaglyph aerial photo for the City of Barrie 91 viii ABSTRACT Winmill, Allison. 2015. Managing for Emerald Ash Borer in the Urban Forest. Lakehead University: Thunder Bay Keywords: early detection, emerald ash borer, community engagement, invasive insects, urban forest management, urban forestry Urban forestry is a concept applied to many cities, municipalities, and communities around the world. It is the practice of managing the interface between urban infrastructure and environmental green spaces. An invasive insect known as the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) has been devastating urban forests in southern Ontario since 2002. Larval feeding on ash (Fraxinus spp) can kill a tree in 3-5 years. Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been moving northward eliminating trees by the thousands, and was discovered in the City of Barrie in 2014. In order to manage for EAB, it is crucial to know where the ash trees are located. The City of Barrie has an inventory of publicly owned trees, but not of those on private property. In addition, the public may not be fully aware of the devastating effects of EAB on the urban forest and the associated management strategies. Obtaining the private ash tree inventory depends on residents to self-report on signs of EAB. Current aerial imagery for the City of Barrie was converted into a format suitable for common smart devices. It can be used as a visual aid in communicating the threat of EAB, and to highlight high risk areas. A pilot project of an urban forest health volunteer network was conducted successfully in the Town of Oakville in 2014. The same process of community engagement and urban forest management was demonstrated through a sample inventory in the City of Barrie. The data combined with the imagery is a crucial aid in developing an early detection rapid response management plan for the City. Future possibilities resulting from this thesis project could be the creation of an online database where members of the public can access the digital imagery, self-report on private trees, and remain informed on urban forest management strategies. 1 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND The practice of sustainable urban forest management is becoming increasingly important with population growth, urban expansion, and stress placed on delicate ecosystems. Urban forestry is a practice taking place in cities all over the world. The notion of urban forestry is one which ties an urban area back to its natural roots. It is a concept of allowing