Most native insects and diseases don’t require management because they evolved in their ecosystem and have natural predators and processes that regulate their impact.
A World of Forest Pests and Diseases The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Forest Health Program By Felicia Hubacz, DCR Forest Health Specialist
It was a warm summer day last year when I found myself inspecting beech tree damage and decline at a private resident’s home on the east coast of Massachusetts. This was only one of dozens of reports we had been inves- tigating last spring and summer and, much like the others, was confirmed to be beech leaf disease. Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a newly described disease that was first identified in the U.S. in Ohio in 2012. Here in Massa- chusetts, it was first detected in 2020 in Plymouth. Since that initial detec- tion, we have confirmed cases of BDL in every county in the state. This homeowner took me through the property to two beautiful and old American Beech trees. As I walked closer to the trees, I immediately no- ticed the dark striping in between the veins of the leaves that indicates BLD. I plucked a couple of the dam- aged leaves and explained the dis- ease to the homeowners. They asked if there was anything they could do to help the trees and I sadly shook my head, no. Unfortunately, it is still too
early in the research stage of BDL to have yielded any beneficial treatment op- tions. The homeowners were devastated. I wish I could say that was the only time I’ve deliv- ered bad news about the health of a tree or trees, but it isn’t. As a Forest Health Specialist for the Massachusetts Depart- ment of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Forest Health Program this is an unfortunate part of my job.
something is found it is assessed and recorded. Most native insects and diseases don’t require management because they evolved in their ecosystem and have natural predators and processes Dark striping in between the veins of the leaves indicates Beech leaf disease. Photos, unless other- wise noted, are courtesy of the author.
The DCR Forest Health Program mon- itors the state’s forests for signs or symptoms of insects and diseases. We use a variety of methods and tools to detect and quantify forest threats including trapping, sampling, visual ground surveys utilizing binoculars and even aerial surveys where we fly over the entire state and map distur- bances in the forest canopy. When
For nonnative insects and diseases, we use the most recent scientific research to guide our mitigation decisions and management planning.
ive insect d States, USDA
ArborTIMES Spring 2023 | 27
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online