United States Department of Agriculture Forest Health Forest Service Alaska Region R10-PR-20 March 2009 Conditions in State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources Alaska—2008 Division of Forestry A Forest Health Protection Report Alaska Forest Health Specialists U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Protection Alaska Forest Health Specialists U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Protection http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/spf/fhp/ Steve Patterson, Assistant Director S&PF, Forest Health Protection Program Leader, Anchorage; [email protected] Anchorage, South-Central Field Office 3301 ‘C’ Street, Suite 202 • Anchorage, AK 99503-3956 Phone: (907) 743-9455 • Fax: 907) 743-9479 John Lundquist, Entomologist, [email protected], also Pacific Northwest Research Station Scientist Lori Trummer, Pathologist; [email protected]; Kenneth P. Zogas, Biological Science Technician; [email protected] Juneau, Southeast Field Office 2770 Sherwood Lane, Suite 2A • Juneau, AK 99801 Phone: (907) 586-8811 • Fax: (907) 586-7848 Paul E. Hennon, Pathologist; [email protected] also Pacific Northwest Research Station Scientist Melinda Lamb, Biological Science Technician; [email protected] ; Mark Schultz, Entomologist; [email protected] ; Dustin Wittwer, Aerial Survey/GIS; [email protected] Fairbanks, Interior Field Office 3700 Airport Way • Fairbanks,AK 99709 Phone: (907) 451-2701, (907) 451-2799, Fax: (907) 451-2690 Charles Frank, Entomologist (detail summer 2008); Jim Kruse, Entomologist; [email protected] Tricia L. Wurtz, Ecologist; [email protected] State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry Central Office 550 W 7th Avenue, Suite 1450 • Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 269-8460 • Fax: (907) 269-8931 Roger E. Burnside, Entomologist; [email protected] Hans Buchholdt, Cartographer/GIS Specialist; [email protected] Division of Agriculture 1648 S. Cushman Street, Suite 201 Fairbanks, AK 99701-6206 Phone: (907) 328-1950 • Fax: (907) 328-1951 Curtis Knight, Natural Resource Specialist; [email protected] University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service 2221 E. Northern Lights, Suite 118 • Anchorage, AK 99508 Phone: (907) 786-6311 Michael Rasy, Statewide Integrated Pest Management Technician; [email protected] Corlene Rose, Integrated Pest Management Program Coordinator; [email protected] On the cover: Photo of the Bonasila River, west of the Yukon River, taken during the annual 2008 aerial survey. Forest Health Conditions in Alaska—2008 FHP Protection Report R10-PR20 Compiled by: Melinda Lamb and Tricia Wurtz Contributors: Hans Buchholdt, Roger Burnside, Charles Frank, Paul Hennon, Curtis Knight, Jim Kruse, Melinda Lamb, John Lundquist, Steve Patterson, Michael Rasy, Mark Schultz, Lori Trummer, Dustin Wittwer, Tricia Wurtz, Lori Zaumseil, and Ken Zogas U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. Alaska Region, Forest Health Protection Forest Health Conditions in Alaska—2008 R10-PR-20, 98 pp. April 2009 Table of Contents Introduction 1 Alaska Forest Health Highlights . 2 Focus of FHP Partnerships 9 Status of Insects 11 Insects—Weather and Climate . .13 Defoliators . 17 Birch Leaf Miners . .17 Aspen Leaf Miner . .19 Spruce Budworm . .21 Large Aspen Tortrix . .22 Willow Leaf Blotch Miner . .22 Spruce Aphid . 23 Black-headed Budworm . 24 Alder Defoliation . 24 Birch Leaf Roller . .25 Yellow-headed Spruce Sawfly . .25 Larch Mortality Due to Larch Sawfly and Eastern Larch Beetle . 25 Miscellaneous Defoliators . 26 Sunira Moth . 26 Spear-marked Black Moth . 26 Rusty Tussock Moth . 26 Others . 26 Bark Beetles . .27 Spruce Beetle . .27 Northern Spruce Engraver Beetle . 29 Western Balsam Bark Beetle . 29 Invasive Insects in Alaska . .29 Gypsy Moth and Exotic Forest Moth Detection Surveys . .29 Focus On Forest Health Protection Working with State, APHIS and others 31 European Yellow Underwing Moth . 32 Uglynest Caterpillar . 32 Rose Tortrix Moth . .33 Dalmation Toadflax Weevil . .33 Amethyst Cedar Borer . .33 Monitoring for Early Detection of Exotic Beetles and Wood Borers . 34 Wood Wasps . .35 Pinewood Nematode/White Spotted Sawyer Surveys . 35 Focus On: the Health of Alder in Alaska 37 Alder Canker Fungi 37 Alder Phytphthora 38 Insects of Alder 38 Status of Diseases and Declines 41 Alaska’s Forest Disease Management in the 21st Century . .43 Invasive Pathogens . .45 Stem Diseases . 48 Hemlock Dwarf Mistletoe . 48 iii Heart Rots of Conifers . .50 Stem Decay of Hardwoods . .52 Spruce Broom Rust . 53 Western Gall Rust . .53 Shoot Blights and Cankers . 54 Alder Canker Fungi . 54 Numerous Other Canker-Causing Fungi . 54 Sirococcus Shoot Blight . 55 Shoot Blight of Yellow-cedar . 56 Canker Fungi of Hardwoods . 57 Hemlock Canker . .57 Grovesiella Canker . 58 Root Diseases . 58 Tomentosus Root Disease . .58 Annosus Root & Butt Rot . 59 Armillaria Root Disease . 59 Foliar Diseases . 60 Spruce Needle Rust . 60 Spruce Needle Discoloration . 60 Declines . .61 Yellow-cedar Decline . 61 Western Hemlock Mortality . 65 Abiotic Agents and Animal Damage . .65 Hemlock Fluting . 66 Porcupine Feeding . 66 Status of Invasive Plants 67 Focus On: Cooperative Weed Management Areas in Alaska 69 Keeping Weeds Out of the Picture with the Anchorage CWMA 69 Weed and Pest Legislation Signed . 71 University of Alaska Fairbanks Partners with FHP to Document Campus Invasives . .72 Invasiveness Ranking System for Non-Native Plants of Alaska . 73 Collaboration with Canadian Invasive Plant Specialists . .73 A Citizen’s Guide to Identifying and Reporting Infestations in Alaska . 73 Invasive plants in Southcentral Alaska 2008 . 75 Bird Vetch . 75 Bull Thistle . 77 Canada Thistle . 77 Common Tansy . 78 Common Toadflax . 79 European Bird Cherry . .79 Canada Red Cherry . .79 Japanese Knotweed . 79 Meadow Hawkweed . 80 Mouseear Hawkweed . 80 Narrowleaf Hawkweed . 80 Orange Hawkweed . 81 Oxeye Daisy . .81 Ornamental Jewelweed . .81 Perennial Sowthistle . 81 Spiny Sowthistle . .81 Purple Loosestrife . .82 iv Rampion Bellflower . ..