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ESF professor researches the harmful effects of the emerald ash borer beetle in NY
By Jess Siart
Posted: 9/3/09, 1:28 AM EST Section: News
The emerald ash borer beetle has killed more than 70 million ash trees in North America. And the insects show no signs of slowing down soon.
The emerald ash borer has entered New York, too, and threatens the 900 million ash trees in the state, which amount to seven percent of the state's tree population.
Early efforts have failed to stop the spread. But Melissa Fierke, an assistant professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, aims to try.
Fierke and her team of graduate students are conducting research to try to slow down the destruction, track its spread, and most importantly, document the ash trees still present.
"Our lab is mostly about documentation of what we have," Fierke said. "This provides baseline information that can be used in future restoration efforts."
Fierke began her work on the beetle in 2007, writing grants and recruiting students to help with her research. Fierke, along with her students Peter Rockermann and Warren Hellman, conducts her research all over New York and in Illick Hall at ESF.
The emerald ash borer is about half an inch in length and feeds solely on ash trees, first as larvae that feed on the inner bark, then as adults consuming the foliage.
The larvae consume a tree's vital tissues that store water and nutrients. As a result, most ash trees die within two years of infestation. The beetle currently has no predators to keep its population in check.
The emerald ash borer was first discovered in the United States in southeast Michigan in 2002. Since 2002, it has spread to 12 states and parts of Canada. The beetle's first appearance occurred in Randolph, N.Y. in June 2009.
Rockermann, a graduate environmental and forest biology student, concentrates on documenting different types of moths that rely on the ash trees. He aims to preserve their population before the ash tree is eradicated completely and evaluate the ecological damage the beetle has done.
Hellman, a graduate forest entomology student, is using a native digger wasp to track the spread of the emerald ash borer beetle in New York. The wasp feeds on metallic wood-boring beetles and will control the destructive beetle's population.
The emerald ash borer has entered New York, too, and threatens the 900 million ash trees in the state, which amount to seven percent of the state's tree population.
Early efforts have failed to stop the spread. But Melissa Fierke, an assistant professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, aims to try.
Fierke and her team of graduate students are conducting research to try to slow down the destruction, track its spread, and most importantly, document the ash trees still present.
"Our lab is mostly about documentation of what we have," Fierke said. "This provides baseline information that can be used in future restoration efforts."
Fierke began her work on the beetle in 2007, writing grants and recruiting students to help with her research. Fierke, along with her students Peter Rockermann and Warren Hellman, conducts her research all over New York and in Illick Hall at ESF.
The emerald ash borer is about half an inch in length and feeds solely on ash trees, first as larvae that feed on the inner bark, then as adults consuming the foliage.
The larvae consume a tree's vital tissues that store water and nutrients. As a result, most ash trees die within two years of infestation. The beetle currently has no predators to keep its population in check.
The emerald ash borer was first discovered in the United States in southeast Michigan in 2002. Since 2002, it has spread to 12 states and parts of Canada. The beetle's first appearance occurred in Randolph, N.Y. in June 2009.
Rockermann, a graduate environmental and forest biology student, concentrates on documenting different types of moths that rely on the ash trees. He aims to preserve their population before the ash tree is eradicated completely and evaluate the ecological damage the beetle has done.
Hellman, a graduate forest entomology student, is using a native digger wasp to track the spread of the emerald ash borer beetle in New York. The wasp feeds on metallic wood-boring beetles and will control the destructive beetle's population.
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