ugs & Diseases B December 2004 info note Red-attacked pines Unravelling the discovered in the mystery of the Crowsnest disappearing defoliators erial surveying to identify red- attacked mountain pine beetle A s reported in the previous issue, (MPB) trees was intensified in 2004. large aspen tortrix and spruce In the Southern Rockies and A budworm populations within the Clearwater areas, the goal was to Northwest Region were significantly survey 70 per cent of the stands having lower this year than in 2003. Large a high or extreme hazard rating. aspen tortrix disappeared from all parts of the region except near Grande This year’s aerial survey has identified a Prairie, yet forest tent caterpillar new threat arising in the south. Two populations rebounded in two separate patches of 10 MPB-killed trees were areas of the region. Spruce budworm discovered east of Tent Mountain, defoliation disappeared in all but a few south of the Crowsnest River. Crews areas along the Peace River near John will fly into the area in the new year to D’or Prairie and Wood Buffalo look for green-attacked trees and National Park and in an area near Fort control the infestation before it has a Chipewyan. chance to spread. Focusing on the variation in spring British Columbia’s pine forests adjacent temperatures could provide some to Alberta are heavily infested. The insight into these events… Sparwood area has experienced a ten- fold increase in beetles over the last two Around the town of Peace River, the years. Plans are in place to meet with first trembling aspen trees began to flush the British Columbia Ministry of Forests on April 27. Other trembling aspen and Tembec Industries in early trees in the region began to flush during December to plan the control efforts the next several days as daytime and prevent the infestation from temperatures ranged from 13 to 22 °C; spreading east into Alberta. however, over the next four weeks Dan Lux there were three significant changes in temperature patterns that might have influenced the defoliator populations. Beginning on May 3, the northern parts of the Another interesting observation made this region cooled significantly for a period of 10 season was large areas of damage to aspen days. During this period daytime temperatures foliage due to the spring frosts. ranged from 1 to 8 °C, and night-time temperatures ranged from -1 to -14 °C. On May 15, it began to warm up for the next four days, with daytime temperatures ranging from 17 to 28 °C and night-time temperatures ranging from 5 to –3 °C. Finally, a short cool period returned for several days when daytime temperatures ranged from 5 to 14 °C and night- time temperatures ranged from -1 to -7 °C. Large aspen tortrix larvae emerge from hibernation at about the time new aspen buds begin to swell, or approximately 7-10 days before aspen trees begin to flush. Therefore, Frost-damaged trembling aspen leaves near John D'or the majority of the large aspen tortrix larvae had Prairie in 2004 probably emerged by early May and were killed by the sub-zero temperature at that time. Interestingly, the only areas of significant budworm defoliation were observed near Forest tent caterpillar larvae hatch later than Wood Buffalo National Park within a frost- large aspen tortrix, at about the time that the damaged area. Daytime temperatures recorded aspen trees begin to flush. Therefore, within the at a nearby fire lookout between May 3 and 12 two outbreak areas, the forest tent caterpillar were rarely above freezing. Night-time larvae probably hatched after the frosts in early temperatures ranged from -6 to -15 °C, cooler May and were able to survive the second, less than in other parts of the region. Were the early severe frosts in late May. May temperatures in this area cold enough to delay the development of white spruce buds, Spruce budworm larvae emerge when white thereby keeping the budworm/white spruce spruce buds begin to swell, typically around synchrony in balance? mid-May. Budworm larval development is synchronized with the various stages of white Mike Maximchuk spruce bud development. As a bud develops into a fully flushed shoot, the larva grows and There’s beetles in them changes its feeding pattern to correspond with there hills the bud’s appearance. It is possible that in 2004, the variations in spring temperatures caused the buds to develop at rates not suitable uring the annual aerial survey conducted for developing larvae. Could this have Don September 13 and 14, red pine trees significantly reduced budworm survival? were detected in the Casket Lake, Beaverdam Creek/Avalanche Creek, and Meadowland Creek areas. Bugs & Diseases 2 December 2004 As of December 1, 2004, 276 and 187 green- buttercup on their leases and SRD treated all of attacked pine trees have been identified in the the adjacent infested vacant crown land. A very Casket Lake and Beaverdam areas thorough and effective kill was achieved. With respectively. Once the ground surveys in all a bit of luck, good residual control will be seen three areas are completed, control work will next year. begin. Dan Lux Erica Lee Beyond Alberta’s Invasive plant co-op borders success ust before the Grey Cup, I was in Ottawa ooperative invasive plant management was Jfor a one-week meeting with my federal and CSRD’s number one spending priority in provincial colleagues. Here is some of the southwest Alberta in 2004. A large, multi- interesting forest health information I picked up stakeholder control project within a 250 square from across the country. kilometre area finally came to fruition. Project partners include Fortis Alberta, Calpine Canada The MPB is now affecting over seven million Resources, Fairbourne Energy, Husky Oil, hectares in B.C. and the end is nowhere in Sundance Forest Industries and Northrock sight. B.C.’s Peace District on the eastern Resources. Each company treated the tall slopes of the Rockies alone has more than 3000 infestations. It is estimated that the current infestation in B.C. has killed 260 to 290 million cubic meters of mature pine trees. In the ugs & Diseases 2004-05 season, 29 million cubic meters of harvesting will be MPB-related. B.C. has B Vol. 15 No. 3 info note ISSN No. 1499-5859 (print version) about 800 million cubic meters of mature ISSN No. 1499-5867 (online version) lodgepole pine in the province and is predicting Published Apr., Aug., and Dec. 80 per cent mortality by 2013. This could by the Forest Health Section, reduce B.C.’s annual allowable cut by 20 per Forest Management Branch, cent and affect as many as 58,000 jobs. More Public Lands and Forests Division (PLFD) Alberta Sustainable Resource Development information is available at Tel: (780) 427-8474; Fax: (780) 427-0084 www.mountainpinebeetle.com Editor: Mike Undershultz Assistant Editor: Sunil Ranasinghe Currently in the United States MPB has infested Technical Support: Linda Joy 890,000 hectares. The mountain pine beetle infestation in the northwestern United States is Bugs & Diseases informs PLFD, Industry expanding toward the Alberta border. and other forestry-related personnel about current forest health issues. Articles The federal mountain pine beetle initiative and ideas are welcome! Submission deadline is the 15th of the month before program will end October 2008. I encourage publication. all researchers to check the Pacific Forestry © 2004 Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Center website at http://mpb.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/ Please contact editor before citing an article. for opportunities. Bugs & Diseases 3 December 2004 Other notes: located outside of the Willmore border along · The spruce budworm population is Sheep Creek, was successfully attacked. down throughout Canada. · Hurricane Juan blew down 70 per cent Erica Lee of trees in the Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia where the brown Woodborer study mill spruce long-horned beetle eradication suffers setback program is being implemented. I predict an explosion of woodborer n the August newsletter we provided an populations there. update on our woodborer study and gave · Good news about scleroderis canker! I thanks to the many project participants. Sadly, Lodgepole pine and jack pine are one of the major contributors to this study has resistant to the European strain of this suffered a serious setback. disease. · Invasive plants cost the United States On October 6, 2004, the St. Jeans Lumber mill $13 billion annually. In the past year, in Breynat burned down. As mentioned in the the U.S. spent $5.2 million on State and August article, St. Jeans has provided private lands and $18 million on invaluable assistance and exemplary service National Forest land to manage invasive supporting our Woodborer study thus far. plants. From the initial selection of sites, to harvesting, Hideji Ono to sampling logs, to the final processing of the lumber – their assistance was first rate, and much appreciated. Personally, I have enjoyed Pheromones in the working with them during the course of this Foothills project. pruce budworm pheromone traps set up in I was shocked when I heard about the fire at Sthe Woodlands and Foothills areas their mill. I think I can speak for everyone indicated a low risk of outbreak in 2005. The involved in expressing our sympathy, and traps set up in the Willmore Wilderness Park wishing them all the best in getting their indicate there is a moderate risk of outbreak operations back to normal. next year. Tom Hutchison No gypsy moths were caught this year in either area. Pine beetles in the Northwest Fifteen mountain pine beetle tree bait sites were set up in the Foothills Area this year.