Lori Winton, PhD South-central & Interior Alaska Forest Pathologist

Tom Heutte Unit Aviation Officer

Elizabeth Graham, PhD Southeast Alaska Forest Entomologist

� Technical Assistance �  delivery of expertise and services

� Survey and Monitoring �  survey and monitor, short & long term

� Treatment �  fund treatments for prevention,

suppression, and eradication � Technology Development

�  research and development of tools for detection & monitoring

Alder dieback & mortality

Armillaria  root  rot Armillaria  bu-  rot

Tomentosus  root  rot  on  spruce Brown  feathery  bu-  rot

Root & butt rots

Stem and branch diseases

Photo:  Stan  Hawley

Foliar diseases

Big unknown: native pathogen identities, prevalence, & impacts

� Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory � Boreal forest conditions �  201 sites/603 plots �  37 plot attributes

�  Location, geology, soils… �  28 tree attributes

�  Species, size, damages

 Malone,  T.,  J.  Liang,  and  E.C.  Packee.  2009.  Cooperative  Alaska  Forest  Inventory.  USDA  Forest  Service  General  Technical  Report  PNW-­‐‑GTR-­‐‑785.  42  p.  

Relevant CAFI Tree damages attributes: developing a baseline

 Malone,  T.,  J.  Liang,  and  E.C.  Packee.  2009.  

•  Early detection of invasive pathogens requires a complete list of Alaska’s native pathogens

•  Prevention also requires identifying potential high risk invaders

US  Forest  Service  Aerial  Insect  and  Disease  Survey  

Tom  Heu9e,  Program  Manager    

Program  Authority  

•  CooperaAve  Forestry  Assistance  Act  of  1978,  as  amended  (Pub.  L.  95-­‐313,  16  U.S.C.  2101-­‐2114)  

•  -­‐  Forest  Health  Management  -­‐  Federal  Lands  (Program  Code  SPFH);    

•  Forest  Health  Monitoring  – DetecAon  (Plot  and  Survey)  –  EvaluaAon  Monitoring  –  Intensive  Site  Ecosystem  Monitoring  –  Research  on  Monitoring  Techniques  

Aerial  Sketchmapping  

•  Observer  sketches  on  paper  map  or  GPS  tablet  •  Coarse  scale-­‐  1:250,000  •  SubjecAve  and  prone  to  differences  between  observers  

•  Inexpensive  on  a  per-­‐acre  basis  

AGENT   Total  Of  Sum  Of  ACRES  naAonal  forest   naAve   other  federal  

state  &  private   unknown  

Alder  defoliaAon   58,466   1,004   14,089   20,139   23,114   120  

Alder  Dieback   16,422   4   2,392   8,965   5,062      

Aspen  defoliaAon   1,301           46   1,255      

Aspen  Leaf  Miner   69,204       18,272   12,002   38,930      

Betula  nana  defoliaAon   86,129       5,292   60,559   20,278      

Birch  aphid   10,744       966   3,199   6,579      

Birch  defoliaAon   80,764   476   5,733   56,559   17,996      

Birch  Leaf  Miner   149       105       44      

Birch  leaf  roller   45               45      

Black-­‐headed  budworm   80   80                  

Cedar  decline   17,378   16,083   294   17   984      

Conifer  defoliaAon   2,734   1,061   1,554   50   68      

Co9onwood  defoliaAon   17,512   59   2,740   10,140   4,574      

Co9onwood  leaf  beetle   9,609   2,772       3,214   196   3,427  

Co9onwood  leaf  miner   49           49          

Fire  damage   12               12      

Flooding/high-­‐water  damage   7,564   748   79   365   6,371      

Hardwood  defoliaAon   3,196   123   1,798   13   1,262      

Hemlock  sawfly   5,480   5,056   21   64   340      

IPS  and  SPB   4,342       1,324   2,003   1,015      

Ips  engraver  beetle   7,224       1,337   3,427   2,460      

Landslide/Avalanche   1,933   137               1,796  

Invasive Forest Insects in Alaska

Elizabeth E. Graham, Ph.D. James J. Kruse, Ph.D.

USDA Forest Service

Forest Health Protection

� At least seven species known

� Three on birch, three on alder, one on eastern larch

�  Introduced from Europe � Tenthredinidae

•  Amber marked birch leafminer (AMBLM)

•  Birch edgeminer •  Birch leafminer

� Host: birches, alder

�  An ichneumonid wasp was discovered controlling AMBLM in Edmonton, Alberta

�  Over 3,600 individuals of this parasitoid were released in Anchorage, Alaska between 2004-2008. 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 year

Average AMBLM Counts, by Year

Average AMBLM, plus/minus 2 standard errors

Parasitoid releases conducted in Fairbanks in 2011

Photos: K. Zogas

Green Alder Sawfly

� Found in Anchorage, Kenai, Seward, and in the Mat-Su River Valley.

� Recently collected in Fairbanks

� Multiple sightings in the Southeast

Alder Sawfly pre-pupae in dead alder stem Eagle River April, 2010

Hemlock Sawfly

� Native to SE Alaska

� Common defoliator on western hemlock

� Can cause tree mortality when occurs with budworms

� Population controlled by natural elements

2012 Invasive Stink Bug Detections (Anchorage area)

•  Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

•  Agricultural pest •  Native to Asia;

Introduced to Eastern U.S. and Oregon

•  European Gypsy Moth was introduced to the U.S. in 1869 by E. Leopold Trouvelot

•  Artist, amateur entomologist, brought the larvae from France to establish a silkworm farm

1900

1994 1965

1934

European Versus Asian GM

•  European –  Likely introduction

pathway from U.S. or Canada

–  Flightless females are sedentary

–  About 250 known food plant hosts

–  At least seven detections since 1987

•  Asian –  Likely introduction

pathway from Asia –  Female can fly and

disperse before egg laying

–  About 600 known food plant host

–  Two very recent detections

Tongass Deputy Forest Supervisor Becky Nourse congratulates Customs Officer John Whittaker.

•  In 2008 and again in 2012, Customs and Border Protection officers found an Asian gypsy moth egg mass on a ships arriving in Ketchikan

Asian Gypsy Moth

Acknowledgements Nick Lisuzzo, Ken Zogas, Steve Swenson, Lori Winton, John Hard; US Forest Service, Forest Health Protection Roger Burnside; Alaska Division of Forestry Kara Cornum; Customs and Border Protection Michael Rasy; Alaska Cooperative Extension Mark Wipfli, Roger Ruess, David Roon; University of Alaska Charlie Knight, Curtis Knight; Alaska Division of Agriculture Ann Ferguson, Leslie Newton, Clinton Campbell; USDA APHIS Eric LaGasa; Washington DNR