United States Department of Agriculture Monitoring Ash (Fraxinus spp.) Decline and Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Symptoms in Infested Areas Kathleen S. Knight Joel A. Throckmorton Britton P. Flash Bernadette Grafton Rachel H. Kappler Charles E. Flower Forest Northern General Technical Service Research Station Report NRS-139 September 2014 Abstract Emerald ash borer (A. planipennis) (EAB) has had a devastating effect on ash (Fraxinus) species since its introduction to North America and has resulted in altered ecological processes across the area of infestation. Monitoring is an important tool for understanding and managing the impact of this threat, and the use of common methods by the many groups engaged in monitoring increases the value of monitoring data. We provide detailed methods for monitoring populations of ash trees, emerald ash borers, and lingering ash trees. These comprehensive methods can assist ecologists and managers in understanding the dynamics and effects of EAB infestations. Choice among these methods depends on the scientific and policy questions of interest and the stage of infestation being monitored. The Authors Kathleen S. Knight is a research ecologist and Britton P. Flash and Charles E. Flower are biological aides, U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Delaware, OH. Rachel H. Kappler, Joel A. Throckmorton, and Bernadette Grafton are research associates, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH. Cover Photo Researcher Rachel Kappler measures an ash tree. Photo by Rachel Hefflinger, The Ohio State University The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Forest Service of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. Manuscript received for publication 18 October 2013 Published by: For additional copies: U.S. FOREST SERVICE U.S. Forest Service 11 CAMPUS BLVD SUITE 200 Publications Distribution NEWTOWN SQUARE PA 19073 359 Main Road Delaware, OH 43015-8640 Fax: (740)368-0152 September 2014 Email: [email protected] Visit our homepage at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/ INTRODUCTION mortality, Knight et al. (2008) revealed that individual ash trees can decline from healthy to dead in as little as Before the invasion of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus 2 years in forests with high EAB densities, threatening planipennis Fairmaire), ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) were public safety because of the increased potential of widely distributed across temperate forests in the eastern tree falls. Furthermore, such a monitoring approach United States, reaching their highest densities in the can reveal the magnitude of the potential ecological Great Lakes region (Flower et al. 2013a). In Ohio alone, consequences, which remain largely uninvestigated. there are estimates of ~3.8 billion ash trees representing a significant component of the forest composition (Herms Recent studies have shown the immediate impacts of et al. 2004). Within the past 10 years, the invasive EAB on ash mortality and have investigated how ash beetle has devastated eastern deciduous forests, killing population dynamics are altered by this invasive pest billions of ash trees, subsequently changing the species (Flower et al. 2013a, Gandhi and Herms 2010, Klooster composition, structure, and associated functions of these et al. 2013, Knight et al. 2013). A recent study in ecosystems (Flower et al. 2013a). The insect’s devastation southeastern Michigan observed EAB-induced mortality of regional forests and urban plantings is costing up to of greater than 99 percent for ash trees and saplings over an estimated $18 billion due to reductions in land value, 2.5 cm d.b.h. (diameter at breast height, 1.37 m) (Herms removal of dead ash trees, and tree replacement (Kovacs et al. 2010). Despite this extreme mortality rate, the et al. 2010, Sydnor et al. 2007). With such drastic and established seedlings persisted because EAB cannot infest immediate impacts, monitoring ash decline and assessing seedlings and small saplings. The seed bank, however, the effects of EAB is vital when prescribing a course of declined because few parent trees survived, resulting action that will mitigate the ecological and economic in little ash regeneration in these areas (Klooster et al. effects. Monitoring data can give land managers baseline 2013). Herms et al. (2010) found that EAB continued information that may assist them in timing management to remain at low levels in these areas, suggesting that activities such as hazard tree removal, invasive plant the borer may infest the ash trees as soon as they reach a removal, and re-planting of desirable tree species. sufficient size. EAB is likely to have both short-term and long-term To better understand the resistance of ash populations effects on ecosystem dynamics. To quantify and better to EAB, lingering ash trees have been monitored, understand the full impacts of EAB, data describing levels propagated, and tested (Knight et al. 2012, Koch et al. of EAB infestation and its effects on ash populations 2012). The term lingering ash describes a healthy ash tree may be coupled with current data on forest ecosystems. of >10 cm d.b.h. existing in a site that is known to have A cascade of ecological effects may result from the been infested for several years and where >95 percent successional and structural changes triggered by ash of trees have already died. Surveys conducted in 2010 mortality (Gandhi and Herms 2010). Previous studies and 2011 at Indian Springs Metro Park in southeastern show that gaps potentially lead to a release of shade Michigan and Oak Openings Preserve Metro Park in tolerant species and influx of invasive species, both northwestern Ohio indicated similar patterns of decline of which may alter the successional trajectory of the and survival (Knight et al. 2012). Of the lingering ash forest (Gandhi and Herms 2010). U.S. Forest Service trees that were healthy in 2010, 74 and 78 percent researchers have developed and deployed the methods remained healthy in 2011 at Oak Openings and Indian presented here to answer questions directly related to Springs, respectively (Knight et al. 2012). Individuals EAB population dynamics, ash tree mortality, tree fall, that were in decline in 2010 continued to follow this and forest responses. Information collected from the degenerating trend in 2011. It is necessary to continually monitoring approach presented here can confirm EAB monitor the lingering ash while EAB populations remain presence and density, which can help inform landowners at low levels surrounding these sites in order to determine regarding the appropriate management approach. For trees that may exhibit rare resistance or tolerance to this instance, by measuring EAB densities and patterns of tree pest (Knight et al. 2012). Understanding these dynamic 1 interactions and trends will help managers observe the Figure 1. trajectory of EAB spread. We recommend using the ecological monitoring methods presented here to assess EAB-induced ash tree decline and plant community responses, determine EAB population dynamics, and track lingering ash populations after EAB has killed >95 percent of the large ash trees. We report here methods developed and tested over a decade of long-term monitoring and research efforts that provide a framework that can be used throughout the entire region of EAB infestation. We seek to provide researchers and managers with a standardized methodology that can help them collect information they need to manage the numerous issues associated with introduced forest pests. Many users will want to choose a subset of our methods, selecting those measures most closely linked to the goals of their monitoring program and to the experience and skills of their monitoring teams. This report describes Figure 1.—A diagram of the EAB monitoring plot with a large three procedures for assessing EAB infestation and effects main plot, nested subplot, and four microplots. on ash populations: ash monitoring plots, EAB traps, and lingering ash surveys. microplots to measure saplings and seedlings, respectively ash MONITORING PLOT METHODS (Fig. 1). In our study design, each circular large main plot has an area of 400 m2 (11.28-m radius) for Ash monitoring plots can be used either in the short monitoring ash trees ≥10 cm d.b.h. Observations of other term, to get a snapshot of ash tree health, EAB tree species of the same size class may also be conducted symptoms, and species composition, or in the long within the main plot. Ash saplings taller than 1.37 m term, to further understand the temporal effects of EAB and <10 cm d.b.h. are measured within a nested subplot on forests. The effects of EAB have previously been centered in the plot (8-m radius; 200 m2); saplings and quantified using field or monitoring plots, by estimating shrubs of other taxa may also be counted within the ash canopy dieback, and counting D-shaped exit holes subplot. Surveying trees in a systematic order facilitates and woodpecker attacks on areas of infestation (Smith identification of individual trees between years without 2006). Flower et al. (2013a) successfully used these needing to tag each tree. For example, we begin in the methods to quantify the impacts of EAB on non-ash tree north and move clockwise around the plot (as viewed growth and forest carbon uptake. Although recording from the center). Because the subplot is similar in size to EAB symptoms of Fraxinus spp. is the primary focus the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) subplot (U.S. of the monitoring plots, this approach may be adapted Forest Service 2011a), FIA methods such as canopy cover to quantify the presence of invasive plants, plant cover, by layer (U.S. Forest Service 2011b) may also be used seedling density, overstory tree growth, and the resulting in the subplot if desired.