Proceedings of the Fifth Joint Meeting of the Western Forest Insect Work Conference and Western International Forest Disease Work Conference San Diego, California April 26 – 30, 2004 Proceedings of the Fifth Joint Meeting of the Western Forest Insect Work Conference and Western International Forest Disease Work Conference San Diego, California April 26 – 30, 2004 Compiled by: Steve Seybold, Research Entomologist and Julie Tillman, Volunteer USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station Chemical Ecology of Forest Insects 720 Olive Drive, Suite D Davis, California 95616 USA Photos provided by Pete Angwin, Ron Billings, Sandy Kegley, Mark Schultz, John Schwandt, and Bill Woodruff Proceedings reviewed by Christopher Fettig, José Negrón, and Sheri Smith The contents of these proceedings are not available for citation or publication without consent of the author. Articles were reformatted but printed approximately as submitted. Authors are responsible for content. 2 In Memorium Dr. Donald Lee Dahlsten Professor of Forest Entomology University of California, Berkeley (December 8, 1933—September 3, 2003) It is with great regret that we announce the passing of our good friend and colleague, Don Dahlsten, on September 3, 2003 at the age of 69. Don died at the Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley after a two-year battle with a rare form of skin cancer. Over the course of a 40-year career, Don developed a worldwide reputation as a respected leader in forest entomology and related fields. His research focused on the development of ecologically sensitive methods of managing insects that feed on trees in forest and urban environments. We are all aware of his pioneering work regarding the biological control of eucalyptus psyllids, but Don distinguished himself with research on the population dynamics of bark beetles and the factors that attract their natural enemies. His other projects included research on how the methods developed to control Pierce’s disease-impacted riparian habitats, description of the life history and development of control strategies of elm leaf beetles, and the ecological impact of the sudden oak death pathogen, a fungus-like alga that has killed tens of thousands of oak trees throughout California. Don was a true naturalist and had a deep interest in a wide range of organisms. He maintained one of the largest long-term databases of insectivorous birds in California’s forest and riparian areas, and recently contributed a 20-page chapter on the biology of the chestnut-backed chickadee for the encyclopedia “Birds of North America.” Don was known, respected and loved by colleagues around the world. He worked and traveled extensively in France, Romania, Australia, Chile, and Brazil; and was one of the first biologists to work in China following its opening. Most recently, Don was in Mexico assisting in the establishment of an insectary developed to produce parasites of the eucalyptus psyllid. Don was noted as a dedicated educator and was appointed as Associate Dean for Instruction and Student Affairs at U.C. Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources in 1996. He advised 39 graduate students during his tenure, but he also taught literally thousands of natural resource, entomology and forestry students in his popular undergraduate courses. His influence extended far beyond the campus as he often addressed professional and civic groups, and he developed outreach programs through the College as well as through the University of California’s interactive University Project. Don received numerous honors throughout his distinguished career, including the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources Outstanding Teaching Award in 1995, the UC Berkeley Distinguished Service Award and the College of Natural Resources Citation in 2003. He was perhaps most proud of being named the 2003 recipient of the Western Forest Insect Work Conference Founder’s Award for Contributions to Forest Entomology. Don was an ardent participant in both the Western Forest Insect Work Conference and the California Forest Pest Council. He greatly enjoyed these gatherings and served in virtually every capacity in both organizations including Chair, Secretary, and Councilor in addition to his contributions on Special Committees, and as Local Arrangements and Program Chair. Also, let it be not forgotten that he was a multiple recipient of the “Ethical Practices” award given in past times by the Western Forest Insect Work Conference. To many members of the Western Forest Insect and Western International Forest Disease Work Conferences, Donald Lee Dahlsten was not only a teacher, mentor and colleague but also a dear and special friend. He will be sorely missed. Tribute Prepared by Patrick J. Shea and Tom Eager and Presented on Tuesday April 27, 2005 3 ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEES Program Committee Steve Seybold, Research Entomologist, USDA FS PSW Station, Davis, CA (Co-Chair) Hadrian Merler, Pathologist, Southern Interior Forest Region, Vernon, BC (Co-Chair) John Christopherson, State of Nevada, Washoe Valley, NV Steve Cook, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID Everett Hansen, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR Kathy Lewis, Univ. Northern B.C., Prince George, B.C. Staffan Lindgren, Univ. Northern B.C., Prince George, B.C. Jorge E. Macías Sàmano, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, ECOSUR, Chiapas, MÉXICO Laura Merrill, USDA FS FHP, Riverside, CA Steve Munson, USDA FS FHP, Ogden, UT Jose Negron, USDA FS RM Station, Ft. Collins, CO Kathy Sheehan, USDA FS FHP, Portland, OR (Webmaster) Judy Adams, USDA FS, Ft. Collins, CO (Webmaster) Local Arrangements Sheri Smith, USDA FS FHP, Susanville, CA Registr ation Danny Cluck, USDA FS FHP, Susanville, CA John Kliejunas, USDA FS FHP, Vallejo, CA John Pronos, USDA FS FHP, Sonora, CA Sheri Smith, USDA FS FHP, Susanville, CA John Wenz, USDA FS FHP, Sonora, CA Bill Woodruff, USDA FS FHP, Susanville, CA Field Trip John Kliejunas, USDA FS FHP, Vallejo, CA Laura Merrill, USDA FS FHP, Riverside, CA John Pronos, USDA FS FHP, Sonora, CA John Wenz, USDA FS FHP, Sonora, CA Program and Proceedings Organization Steve Seybold, USDA FS PSW, Davis, CA Photography Pete Angwin, USDA FS FHP, Redding, CA Sandy Kegley, USDA FS FHP, Coeur d’Alene, ID Mark Schultz, USDA FS, Juneau, AK John Schwandt, USDA FS FHP, Coeur d’Alene, ID Bill Woodruff, USDA FS FHP, Susanville, CA Ron Billings, Texas FS, College Station, TX Silent Auction Ladd Livingston, Idaho Dept of Lands, Coeur d’Alene, ID 4 Table of Contents Group Photos . 8 Meeting Program . 12 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks . 19 Photos of San Diego Environs and Meeting Activities . 20 Plenary Sessions Plenary Session I Keynote Address: Forest health issues in California . 22 WFIWC Founders’ Award presentation: A tribute to Don Dahlsten . 30 Student Award presentation: Awardee, Brian Aukema . 42 WIFDWC Outstanding Achievement Award presentation, Everett Hansen . 47 Plenary Session II: Interactions of air pollution with forest health. 50 Plenary Session III: Conference Finale Climate change and vegetation response . 54 Banquet Presentation: Have Camera, Will Travel A Slide Presentation by Ron Billings . 58 Workshops Session I Current status of entomological and pathological research in the National Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) Study . 60 Induced insect and disease resistance in trees: Scientific curiosity or application of the future? . 61 Monitoring the health of the forests of the United States . 66 Spruce-fir forests and their problems . 70 Session II Wood-destroying organisms in the new millennium: Where have we gone since Bend 1989? . 72 Evolutionary aspects of forest insect-fungus interactions . 78 Bugs, basidiospores, and fiber: The role of silviculture in maintaining healthy forests . 82 Session III Renewed research efforts on the application of verbenone and other semiochemicals for reducing bark beetle-caused tree mortality . .89 What’s new in graduate school? Research presentations by students in entomology and pathology ? . .91 Multistate Research Project W-187: An example of an integrated approach to studying the impacts of insects and diseases in forest ecosystems . 94 5 Session IV Biological control and forest pest management: A tribute to Donald L. Dahlsten . 94 Session V Insects and disease issues associated with oaks in California . 106 Disease, insect, and management issues associated with the pinyon-juniper type in the West . 108 Bark beetle prevention programs: New approaches and progress . 113 Current research on sucking insects in North America . 113 Special Paper . 117 Poster Session Efficacy of verbenone in reducing mountain pine beetle attack in lodgepole pine . 121 Chips and dips (“drawing in pine Scolytidae”): Effective slash management in the wildland urban interface or a recipe for disaster? . 122 Effects of spotted knapweed invasion on ground beetle (Carabidae) assemblages in rocky mountain savannas . 122 The effect of tree root form on susceptibility of lodgepole pine to attack by Warren root collar weevil . 123 MtDNA variation of spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis, throughout its North American range: Distinctive northern and Rocky mountain clades, and a potential zone of overlap in British Columbia . 123 Detecting signals in electroantennogram data through specific waveform amplification . 123 The role of wildland fire and subsequent insect attack on ponderosa pine mortality – year 2 results of a collaborative research and management multi-regional investigation . 124 Creating a database of condition and distribution of whitebark and limber pines . 125 Population dynamics