Campus natural areas & woodlots and invasive species
The Emerald Ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, was first detected in North America in 2002 in Detroit Michigan and then shortly thereafter in Windsor Ontario (Herms & McCullough 2014). Since that initial discovery, EAB has become the
most destructive and costly forest insect to invade North America. Some think it could extirpate ash (Fraxinus sp.) from North America.
The photograph of the EAB above is from the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Below, revisit our conversation with Mr. Martin Neumann (Manager of Forestry for the City of Guelph) about how the City of Guelph is dealing with the Emerald Ash borer.
most destructive and costly forest insect to invade North America. Some think it could extirpate ash (Fraxinus sp.) from North America.
The photograph of the EAB above is from the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Below, revisit our conversation with Mr. Martin Neumann (Manager of Forestry for the City of Guelph) about how the City of Guelph is dealing with the Emerald Ash borer.
EAB was confirmed in the south-end of Guelph in the fall of 2011. The City of Guelph estimates that approximately 10% of it's trees are Fraxinus. There is local organisation (Emerald Ash Borer Guelph) whose mandate is "to raise awareness about EAB so that Guelph residents may be equipped with the necessary information in order to proactively respond to this invasive species."
The map below show's the approximate location of the neighborhood where EAB was first located in the city.
The map below show's the approximate location of the neighborhood where EAB was first located in the city.
Following the City's discovery in 2011, more than 200 trees on the University of Guelph campus have been inoculated for EAB (starting in 2012). In the link below you'll read about Chris Earley and the University's Arboretum's efforts to protect the ash trees on the campus.
Now that we've been introduced to the EAB - let's take a moment to consider how it can be affected by other species in these environments (just as we did with the Garlic Mustard plant).
Species Interactions and the Emerald Ash Borer: the blue ash
In the video below, you'll re-join Dr. Doug Larson and he will introduce you to another species of ash, the Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata).
In the video below, you'll re-join Dr. Doug Larson and he will introduce you to another species of ash, the Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata).
So, the Dairy Bush is home to a rare species of ash - who may not be susceptible to the EAB. Perhaps this campus woodlot will be a reservoir of diversity
You can see the squared edges of the blue ash from the Dairy Bush in the photos above and below.
Species Interactions and the Emerald Ash Borer: a beetle detecting wasp
The wasp Cerceris fumipennis (Crabronidae) is an amazing species, native to eastern North America, who feeds it's young strictly with buprestid beetles. It's "menu" includes a large number of native species and now that menu includes the Emerald Ash Borer. `
The wasp Cerceris fumipennis (Crabronidae) is an amazing species, native to eastern North America, who feeds it's young strictly with buprestid beetles. It's "menu" includes a large number of native species and now that menu includes the Emerald Ash Borer. `
In series of very interesting discoveries the University of Guelph's Dr. Steve Marshall and students documented the biology of this wasp and proposed that we could use the incredible biology of the wasp to help us monitor for the EAB. You can read about this incredible relationship, and fantastic proposal of a way to adopt this behaviour to help us monitor for the invasive species is detailed here. In the video below you will meet Dr. Marshall and he will tell you about the story behind the set of discoveries that were necessary to learn about this amazing behaviour and how it can help us detect EAB.