2003 Insect and
Disease Conditions Report
Northeastern Area
1/15/04
INSECTS: NATIVE
Arborvitae leaf miners
A complex of four species
Region
9/Northeastern Area: Maine
Host(s): Northern
white-cedar
In
Maine, populations of these perennial pests of arborvitae
were at destructive levels of varying degrees across the State. Arborvitae in northwestern Maine and eastern Washington County sustained the heaviest damage in 2003. Many infested
native stands as well as ornamentals showed signs of stress and increased
mortality especially on sites affected by recent drought. Woodborers, bark beetles, and shoestring root
rot seem to be the opportunists that pushed trees over the brink.
Bagworm moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis
Region 9/Northeastern Area: Connecticut, West Virginia
Host(s): Black locust, boxelder, miscellaneous
conifers
In
Connecticut, there were only a few reports, all from the
mid-State area, and on various tree species. In West Virginia light populations were reported on miscellaneous conifers
statewide.
Balsam gall midge
Paradiplosis
tumifex
Region
9/Northeastern Area: Maine, Vermont
Host(s): Balsam fir
This
pest may cause very significant damage to the Christmas tree and wreath
industries of Maine, but population levels were low throughout the State
in 2003. The population in Vermont collapsed.
Balsam shoot boring
sawfly
Pleroneura brunneicornis
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maine, Vermont
Host(s): Balsam and fraser fir
No
survey was conducted on this insect in Maine in 2003 and there were no reports of significant
damage in Christmas tree plantations. Damage in native stands was spotty and
generally light. Very little damage on Christmas trees was reported in Vermont.
Balsam twig aphid
Mindarus abietinus
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine, Vermont
Host(s): Balsam fir
In
Maine, population levels of this insect were down with
trace to light damage being reported in forest stands. Populations in many Christmas tress farms
were controlled due to a low tolerance for damage in competitive tree
markets. Damage has not had a
significant impact on the wreath brush harvest in 2003. Very little damage on
Christmas trees was reported in Vermont.
Birch skeletonizer
Bucculatrix
canadensisella
Region 9/Northeastern Area: Maine,
New Hampshire,
Vermont
Host(s): Birch species
Heavy defoliation of birches
resulted from feeding by the birch skeletonizer over most of northern and
eastern Maine. A gross estimate of the scope of the damage
is 750,000 acres of birch type affected in Franklin,
Somerset, Piscataquis, Aroostook,
Penobscot, Hancock, and Washington Counties. Feeding damage occurred in late August into
September and was not expected to cause significant long-term damage to
infested trees. Moderate defoliation occurred in Coos
County, New Hampshire. Heavy damage in northern and central Vermont
was observed on over 17,000 acres.
Bruce Spanworm
Operophtera bruceata
Region 9/Northeastern Area: New
Hampshire, Vermont
Host(s): Sugar maple, beech
This defoliator was a common
occurrence in central and northern New Hampshire.
Moderate to heavy defoliation occurred statewide in Vermont. Some stands refoliated and moths were common
in the fall.
Common oak moth
Phoberia atomaris
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Ohio,
West Virginia
Host(s): White oak
In southern Ohio,
approximately 8,200 acres were defoliated by this insect and small Phigalia in Gallia,
Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence,
Pike, Ross, and Vinton Counties. In West Virginia
approximately 3,493 acres of defoliation were reported in Ritchie, Wirt, and Wood
Counties. Defoliation was also observed in Wayne,
Gilmer, Calhoun, Braxton, Kanawha, Jackson,
Lincoln, and Roane
Counties. This was the first time that common oak moth
was recorded as a primary damaging agent in West Virginia. Other defoliators occurring with the common
oak moth were linden looper, small Phigalia,
half-winged geometer, fall cankerworm, and spring cankerworm.
Eastern larch beetle
Dendroctonus simplex
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maine, Michigan,
Vermont
Host(s): Eastern larch
Pockets
of dead and dying larch infested with this species are a common sight
throughout the range of larch in Maine but especially in the south and central portions of
the State. Because of the variable number of stressors involved in such situations
and the small size of the pockets it was difficult to assign an acreage figure
to the damage. Poor vigor in many native larch stands will most likely make
them increasingly vulnerable to future damage. Populations in eastern and the south central Upper Peninsula of Michigan
declined in 2003. This bark beetle
became epidemic in tamarack (Larix laricina) stressed trees from the
drought of 2000-2001 and repeated defoliation by the larch casebearer (Coleophora laricella). In Vermont, mortality was noted statewide, especially in the
northeastern portion of the State.
Eastern spruce budworm
Choristoneura
fumiferana
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine, Michigan,
Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin
Host(s): Balsam fir, white spruce, red spruce, black
spruce, hemlock
Monitoring
of low-level spruce budworm populations continued in Maine in 2003.
Monitoring included field observations, a statewide light trap network,
and pheromone baited traps that were highly attractive to budworm moths. Field observations were made in 2003, but no
larvae were found and no defoliation was detected. No defoliation was reported in New Hampshire and pheromone trap catches were very low. Trap counts for this insect in the Adirondacks in New
York were for
the most part low to moderate. In Vermont, the number of moths in pheromone traps remained
low. About 35,000 acres were defoliated
in Minnesota. This is the
50th consecutive year of detectable spruce budworm defoliation in
the State. More than 11,000 acres were
defoliated in Marquette and Schoolcraft Counties in Michigan’s Upper
Peninsula and about 200
acres in west central Lower
Peninsula. Areas of light budworm defoliation have been
visible for the last few years. In Wisconsin, 3,982 acres of defoliation was detected by aerial
survey in the Nicolet and Chequamegon National
Forests.
Eastern tent caterpillar
Malacosoma americanum
Region 9/Northeastern Area: Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia
Host(s): Black cherry, crabapple
Reports were very common in Maine
and most field personnel felt populations of this pest were very high. Minimal
damage was observed in Massachusetts
in Essex, Middlesex, and Berkshire
Counties. About 30,000 acres of
mixed hardwood species were moderately to severely defoliated by a complex of
eastern tent caterpillar, forest tent caterpillar, and maple anthracnose in St.
Lawrence County in New York and
significant defoliation and tree mortality should be expected in some areas in
2004. Scattered light defoliation occurred statewide in Vermont.
In Pennsylvania, black cherry in Tioga
County was observed to have damaged
foliage and shoots of maple, beech, and birch.
In West Virginia, light to
moderate defoliation on black cherry was observed over most of the State. Nucleopolyhedrosis virus was reported
primarily in the eastern panhandle counties.
Fall cankerworm
Alsophila pometaria
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maryland, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, West
Virginia
Host(s): Maples,
oaks, other hardwoods
In
Maryland, aerial surveys detected defoliation on approximately
1,953 acres in the counties of Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Washington, and Allegany.
In Pennsylvania, aerial surveys revealed defoliation on 889 acres in
Allegany, Berks, and Dauphin Counties. In West Virginia, spring larval surveys reported light populations of
fall cankerworm in Terra Alta in Preston County. No defoliation was observed in Massachusetts this year.
Fall webworm
Hyphantria cunea
Region 9/Northeastern Area: New York, Vermont, West Virginia
Host(s): Maple,
beech, birch, walnut, apple, ash, black cherry, cherry, elm, other hardwoods
miscellaneous hardwoods
A
few roadside nests were observed in New York but reports of defoliation by this insect decreased
sharply compared to the previous two years.
In West
Virginia, light
to moderate defoliation was seen over most of the State. Scattered light
defoliation occurred in Vermont.
Forest tent caterpillar
Malacosoma disstria
Region 9/Northeastern Area: Maine,
Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, New
York, Ohio, Vermont,
West Virginia, Wisconsin
Host(s): Aspen,
basswood, pin oak, white oak, sweetgum, other hardwoods
In Maine,
two islands in the Bagaduce River
in Penobscot were defoliated in 2003.
The islands are predominantly forested with a mix of aspen and red
oak. Populations elsewhere in the State
remained at endemic levels. The aerial survey in Massachusetts
documented 20,501 acres of heavy defoliation from this insect. A check of the historic records indicates
that this is the first time that this insect has caused widespread
defoliation. The visible defoliation is
limited to Bristol and Norfolk
Counties, but reports from field
staff indicate that a buildup is occurring in Berkshire
County. Defoliation occurred in
combination with eastern tent caterpillar in New York.
There was a statewide increase in larval activity in Vermont
with moderate defoliation on 400 acres in Rutland
County. In Ohio,
there was no significant defoliation this year.
In West Virginia, forest
tent caterpillar was light to moderate on oak and maple in isolated areas. Populations in the Lake States began to
decline in this fifth straight year of defoliation. About 2.5 million acres were defoliated in Minnesota. In Michigan,
167,000 acres were defoliated. This was the tail end of a 4-5 year epidemic
which defoliated 11.5 million acres in its peak year of 2001. Populations
collapsed in Wisconsin and
defoliation only occurred in a few scattered pockets.
Hemlock looper (fall flying)
Lambdina fiscellaria
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont
Host(s): Eastern hemlock,
balsam fir, white spruce
No
significant hemlock looper populations were found in Maine. Populations
in 2002 had also declined sharply compared to 2001. The “outbreak” of 2001 has collapsed
completely. Light defoliation on 529
acres was reported in Berkshire County in Massachusetts. Observations
made during moth flight indicate a buildup of this insect. A number of moths
were caught in traps set for spruce budworm in New York, but no significant defoliation of hemlock was
observed. Populations remain low in Vermont.
Jack pine budworm
Chorisoneura pinus
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Michigan, Minnesota,
Wisconsin
Host(s): Jack pine
About 18,500 acres were defoliated in Minnesota.
This outbreak is new in 2003. Statewide,
Michigan sustained nearly 330,000
acres of defoliation, up from 40,000 acres in 2002. Populations began building
in the eastern Upper Peninsula in 2000. In 2003 the
epidemic spread throughout the Upper Peninsula, with
130,809 acres of jack pine moderately to heavily defoliated. About 1,500 acres were defoliated in northern
Wisconsin and populations are
expected to increase over the next couple of years.
Lace bugs
Corythucha spp.
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut,
West Virginia
Host(s): Black cherry, sycamore, oaks
In Connecticut,
heavy populations on Ericaceous plants occurred throughout the area. All
occurrences were on landscape plants with damage on current year’s growth
noticeable by August. This is the second big year in a row for lace bugs. In West
Virginia, moderate discoloration damage was observed
statewide on oak, cherry, and sycamore.
Jumping oak gall wasp
Neuroterus
saltatorius
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Ohio, Missouri
Host(s): Bur oak, white oak
In
Ohio, this insect caused defoliation on trees in Brown and
Highland Counties. From
1998-2000 high levels of this insect were reported throughout eastern Missouri on white oaks.
Numbers of infested trees declined sharply in 2001 and were at
non-detectable levels in 2002. In 2003,
leaf damaged returned on white oaks in eastern and southeastern parts of the
State. Damage was primarily in widely
scattered trees or patches of trees.
Larch casebearer
Coleophora laricella
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Pennsylvania,
Michigan, Minnesota,
Vermont
Host(s): Japanese larch
In Pennsylvania,
approximately 100 acres of plantation had symptoms of damaged foliage or shoots
in Tioga County.
In Minnesota, 1,660 acres were
reported affected, down by 40 percent from 2002. Over 21,200 acres were defoliated in Michigan.
Moderate defoliation was widely scattered statewide in Vermont.
Large aspen tortrix
Choristoneura
conflictana
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Vermont
Host(s): Bigtooth aspen, aspen
Defoliation was not noted in Vermont
this year.
Locust leafminer
Odontota dorsalis
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine,
Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Vermont
Host(s): Black locust
Populations and the resultant
defoliation by this species remained extreme throughout the range of the host
in Maine in 2003. No let up in
sight and mortality of black locust on stressed sites is increasing around the
State. Very heavy (80 percent) mortality
occurred on approximately five acres of black locust in the town of Brunswick. In Massachusetts,
black locust, mostly along the interstate highways, experienced
defoliation. A total of 364 acres of
defoliation were recorded. Defoliation
was heavy throughout New Hampshire,
an increase in severity from 2002. Approximately 1400 acres of defoliation and
discoloration were mapped in Vermont,
a sharp increase in population.
Mortality was occurring in some stands.
Aerial surveys in Ohio
revealed 76 acres of defoliation in Monroe
County. In Pennsylvania,
ground surveys found locust leafminer damaging foliage of black locust in Susquehanna
County.
Maple leafcutter
Paraclemensia acerifoliella
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Vermont
Host(s): Sugar maple
Moderate
damage occurred in central Vermont,
with light damage in the rest of the State.
Maple trumpet
skeletonizer
Epinotia aceriella
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Vermont
Host(s): Sugar maple
There
was scattered light defoliation reported in Vermont.
Oak leaftier
Croesia semipurpurana
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine, West Virginia
Host(s): Black oak, northern red oak, scarlet oak
In Maine,
defoliation levels as a result of feeding by larvae of this species increased
slightly in 2003. Red oak defoliation due
to leaf shredder feeding was at moderate (60 percent leaf loss) levels on
approximately 75 acres was observed on Verona Island in Buckport. Surveys for
oak leaftier eggs were conducted again in West Virginia in Barbour, Pendleton,
Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker Counties in late winter, but no eggs were
observed and follow-up summer larval surveys reported very light populations
only in Randolph, Tucker, and Pocahontas Counties.
Orange-striped oakworm
Anisota senatoria
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut,
Maryland, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, West
Virginia
Host(s): Black oak, red oak
In Connecticut,
defoliation detected by aerial survey occurred on 761 acres in Windham
County, in the towns of Canterbury
and Killingly. Defoliation by these
caterpillars on Long Island in New
York was severe for the 4th consecutive
year. An estimated 2,000 acres of State
land centered around the Otis Pike Preserve had some defoliation, much of it
severe and following early spring defoliation by gypsy moth and further damage
by oak anthracnose. Many of these areas
could see extensive patches of tree mortality in 2004. Severe defoliation was
also observed on Federal, County, and private lands in the adjacent area. There were three areas of defoliation in
central Rhode Island. A total of
1,500 acres were defoliated in Kent County. Populations appear to have collapsed in the
late instars. No reports were received
from Maryland or West
Virginia in 2003.
In New Jersey occurrences
of this pest were observed on approximately 1,500 acres in Atlantic,
Ocean, and Burlington Counties. In Pennsylvania,
this late season defoliator caused only light defoliation in Perry
County. In West Virginia,
there were moderate to heavy infestations in scattered, isolated locations.
Oystershell scale
Lepidosaphes ulmi
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine, Vermont
Host(s): Beech
Heavy
defoliation and some tree mortality in Maine were attributed to oyster shell scale along the
southwest side of Caribou Lake. Regeneration
and co-dominant trees were damaged. There was only light damage in Vermont and populations dropped to very low levels.
Peach bark beetle
Phloetribus liminaris
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: New York
Host(s): Black cherry
The
populations of this insect were scattered across the southern tier of New York.
Periodical cicada
Magicicada septendecim
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Ohio, West Virginia
Host(s):
Hardwoods
In Ohio,
emergence of the periodical cicada is expected to occur in the southwestern
part of the State in 2004. In West
Virginia, emergence was reported causing damage to
foliage and shoots on over 2.4 million acres in 12 southeastern counties. Flagging was heavy and obvious.
Scarlet oak sawfly
Caliroa
quercuscoccineae
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: West
Virginia
Host(s): Black oak, pin oak, red oak
In West Virginia,
incidence of this pest, along with other defoliators, was reported as spotty
and heavy in Wayne, Gilmer,
Calhoun, Braxton, Kanawha, Jackson,
Ritchie, Lincoln, Wirt, and Roane
Counties.
Southern pine beetle
Dendroctonus frontalis
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Delaware,
Maryland, New
Jersey, Ohio,
West Virginia
Host(s): Austrian pine, loblolly pine, pitch pine,
Scotch pine, Virginia pine
In Delaware,
no significant active southern pine beetle spots were detected in 2003.
However, one small, 11-acre patch at Redden
State Forest
was clearcut to reduce a localized infestation.
In 2003, no southern pine beetle activity was reported in Maryland
and Ohio. In New Jersey,
southern pine beetle infestations caused approximately 2,500 acres of mortality
in Cumberland, Atlantic,
and Cape May Counties. In West Virginia,
funnel traps were used in Jackson, Lincoln,
Wayne, Mingo, Mason, and McDowell
Counties. Traps were baited with frontalin lure and a
wick bottle containing steamed, distilled turpentine. While several beetles were trapped, clerid
counts were numerous enough to rank southern pine beetle populations as
declining or static.
Spruce beetle
Dendroctonus rufipennis
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maine, Vermont
Host(s): White and red spruce
The
condition of many of Maine's coastal spruce stands continued
a gradual decline in 2003. Spruce
beetle, has been the most immediate cause of spruce stand deterioration since
the mid-90s; however, beetle population levels have gradually declined and
losses due to this insect have stabilized.
Drought conditions in recent years (1995, 1999, 2001, and 2002) have
been a major factor in spruce stand decline and have certainly contributed to
the persistence of the beetle outbreak.
The current spruce beetle infestation remained confined predominantly to
the central Maine coast, especially Penobscot Bay. In Vermont there was an increase in
population and mortality following drought.
Variable oakleaf caterpillar
Heterocampa manteo
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maryland, Pennsylvania
Host(s): Beech
In Maryland,
this pest defoliated over 6,600 acres of oak in St. Marys, Caroline, and Queen
Annes Counties. No incidence of this pest was reported this
year in Pennsylvania.
White pine weevil
Pissodes strobi
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
Host(s): White pine
In
Connecticut, more damage was observed than in previous years, on
white pine and especially on spruce.
This perennial problem continued to limit the
growth of white pine, as well as Colorado blue and Norway spruce in Maine. In New Hampshire white pine weevil is
widespread statewide. The weevil was commonly found statewide in Vermont.
INSECTS: NON-NATIVE
Asian longhorned beetle
Anoplophora glabripennis
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
New York, New Jersey,
Illinois
Host(s): Ash,
birches, black locust, elm, horse chestnut, maples, poplar, willow
There were several new infested
locations found in New York in 2003;
however all of them were within the Federal quarantine areas around New
York City and Long Island. The total number of infested trees found in New
York since 1996 now exceeds 6,000. In New
Jersey, during the fall and winter months, survey
crews examined all of the host trees within a ½-mile radius of the 2002 initial
find in Hudson County
to determine the extent of the infestation from this exotic wood-boring
insect. Initial surveys found 102 trees
infested in Jersey City. An adult
beetle was found in Chicago, the
first since 1998. Tree climbers found an
American Elm with a beetle hole one block from where the beetle was found, and
a nearby silver maple showed early signs of infestation. Both trees were removed and intensive surveys
continue.
Balsam woolly adelgid
Adelges piceae
Seen on occasional landscape fir in
Connecticut, but do not seem to
threaten nearby fraser fir Christmas trees.
Balsam woolly adelgid populations in Maine
appear to have lessened in 2003, as a result of winter mortality associated
with low temperatures. New damage should
be lower than in the past seven or so years.
Mortality of fir resulting from the combination of balsam woolly adelgid
damage and past drought was very striking in fir areas located south of
Millinocket and is likely to continue for a few more years. In New
Hampshire the adelgid is causing damage and mortality
throughout the range of balsam fir, except in the extreme northern part of the
State. In Vermont there was
damage and mortality observed, in combination with drought, on about 9,000
acres. In West
Virginia balsam woolly
adelgid was not surveyed for during the 2003 season; however, peripheral
observations this year indicated the adelgid is still present and causing
mortality in Randolph, Pocahontas, and Tucker Counties.
Birch leafminer
Fenusa pusilla
Host(s): Grey birch
In New Jersey, no incidence of this pest was reported this
year. In Pennsylvania, this pest caused damage to foliage and shoots on
approximately 50,000 acres of birch in Tioga County. Damage was reduced statewide
in Vermont.
Browntail moth
Euproctis
chrysorrhoea
Region
9/Northeastern Area: Maine
Host(s): Red oak
The
Casco Bay region in Maine northeast to the Penobscot River continued to support moderate to high population
levels of browntail moth in 2003. Low
winter temperatures slowed expansion to inland areas but coastal lands remain
heavily infested. Webs collected to
assess winter mortality showed that webs located five miles or more from the
coast line exhibited 90 percent larval mortality while webs adjacent to the ocean
had little if any winter losses.
Common European pine shoot beetle
Tomicus piniperda
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire,
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia,
Wisconsin
The Maine Forest
Service and USDA APHIS PPQ have conducted joint trapping surveys in Maine since 1999. Beetles have been trapped in funnel
traps in Franklin County and northern Oxford County since 2000 and these counties are regulated. No signs or tree damage were seen during
scouting surveys of red pine plantations in areas where the beetles were
trapped. Trapping in Pittsburg and Clarksville in New Hampshire caught 478 beetles.
The number of New York
counties where this pest has been found increased to 42 this year. The new counties are Sullivan, Greene, Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery, Saratoga, and Hamilton. In general,
New York State has not experienced as high a severity of damage from this
insect. In Vermont damage was found in Orleans County where the highest trap counts have been. One beetle was caught in Washington County, while none were caught in Franklin, Lamoille, Chittenden, Grand Isle, Orange, or Windham Counties. Five new counties were found infested
in Illinois (Caroll,
Ford, Henry, Mason, and Peoria)
and one new county in Indiana
(Union). Delaware did not find any pine shoot beetle adults during
2003. In Maryland pine shoot beetle continues to be present in
Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington Counties. In 2003 the pine
shoot beetle was reported for the first time in Montgomery County.
In Ohio pine shoot beetle continues to be present in 76 counties
and was observed for the first time in Gallia County in 2003. In Pennsylvania this beetle has been found in 35 counties in the
west and northern parts of the State.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has confirmed the following
15 counties infested: Hancock, Ohio, Brooke, Tyler, Marshall, Tucker, Grant, Mineral, Preston, Pleasants, Monongalia, Taylor, Wetzel, Marion, and Harrison. In 2003, Wetzel, Marion, and Harrison Counties reported beetle occurrence for the first time. A Federal quarantine is in effect for this
insect.
Elongate hemlock scale
Fiorinia externa
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Connecticut, New
York, Pennsylvania
Host(s): Eastern
hemlock
Infestations
are heavy throughout Connecticut, in a wider area each year (further north and east)
and on both landscape Tsuga and plantation grown Abies. This
insect is generally found in southeastern New York, most often in conjunction with infestation by
hemlock woolly adelgid. In 2003 it was
observed in Monroe County for the first time, at an abandoned nursery. No new occurrences have been found of the
unidentified entomopathic fungus that was first found at Mianus River gorge a few years ago and since at two other
locations. In 2003 this scale caused
mortality on 5 acres of eastern hemlock in Montour County, Pennsylvania.
Emerald Ash Borer
Agrilus planipennis
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maryland, Michigan,
Ohio
Hosts(s): Ash species
This insect is now
considered established in six southeast Michigan counties -- Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne.
Eradication is being attempted in 10 counties in southern Michigan, from Ottawa and Kent Counties to the west, and a ring of counties surrounding where the
insect is currently established. The beetle currently infests over 2 million
acres. Plans include a statewide
detection survey in 2004. Trap trees
will be used in high-risk areas throughout the State in an effort to detect
below-damage threshold populations, and to help define the advancing
front. Risk is defined using knowledge
of ash resources and visitors days from people from infested counties
ascertained from State Parks records. In
Maryland emerald ash
borer-infested nursery stock from Michigan
was found in a Prince Georges County Nursery.
The Maryland Nursery received a total of 121 trees from Michigan
in April of 2003. The trees were
destroyed in September of 2003 by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. In Ohio
emerald ash borer surveys found 336 trees within survey sites to be infected by
the emerald ash borer in Lucas, Defiance,
Wood, Franklin, and Paulding
Counties. Less than 50 percent of the trees within
survey sites were infested. In an effort
to prevent further spread, the Ohio Department of Agriculture imposed quarantine
on ash trees, logs, lumber, bark, chips, and firewood from infested areas. In addition, the agency enacted an external
quarantine on all such products from Michigan.
Gypsy Moth
Lymantria dispar
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Indiana, Maryland,
Michigan, New
Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Wisconsin
Host(s): Apple,
aspen, basswood, black walnut, northern red oak, pin oak, red oak, white oak
Cooperative Lands:
|
State
|
Acres Defoliated in 2003
|
|
Indiana
|
2
|
|
Maryland
|
112
|
|
Michigan
|
38119
|
|
New Jersey
|
5141
|
|
New York
|
200
|
|
Ohio
|
4023
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
1252
|
|
West
Virginia
|
5338
|
|
Wisconsin
|
94507
|
|
Total Cooperative
|
148694
|
National
Forest Lands:
|
National Forest
|
Acres Defoliated in 2003
|
|
Allegheny
|
512
|
|
Hiawatha
|
8242
|
|
Manistee
|
432
|
|
Monongahela
|
8585
|
|
Nicolette
|
4466
|
|
Wayne
|
62
|
|
Total National
Forest
|
22299
|
The fungus Entomophaga
maimaiga, virus, and parasites continued to keep the gypsy moth population
at low levels in many areas in the northeast, except for Michigan
and Wisconsin. There was no
defoliation reported in Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, New
Hampshire, or Vermont. Only 200 acres were defoliated on Long
Island in New York.
Egg mass counts in New England and New
York indicate that populations should remain low in
2004.
Wisconsin
populations have increased steadily since 2000 with heavy defoliation occurring
over 65,000 acres, up from 24,000 in 2002.
Most of the defoliation are in eastern parts of the State along Lake
Michigan, from Marinette
County to the Illinois
border. Populations in Milwaukee,
Kenosha, and Racine
in the south declined the past year. For the first time, oak forests in
southern Dickinson County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were defoliated enough
to be included on aerial sketch map surveys.
Abundance of egg masses in this area and in the adjacent Menominee
County forecast a rapidly growing
population. Egg mass counts in other
historically gypsy moth infested States indicate that populations should remain
low in 2004.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Adelges tsugae
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, West Virginia
Host(s): Eastern hemlock
Hemlock
woolly adelgid continues to spread throughout the generally infested area
causing hemlock decline and tree mortality. The only newly infested county
reported in West
Virginia was Webster County. This brings
the total number of infested counties to 20 within the State. Ohio reported 2 isolated infestations in late 2002 in Lake County as a result of importation of out of State infested
nursery stock. Both of these Ohio infestations were subsequently eradicated. The cold winter temperatures during 2002-2003
generally reduced adelgid numbers throughout the Mid-Atlantic States. By spring,
adelgid densities rebounded in most areas.
Biological control activities to establish natural enemies of this pest
continued in 2003. More than 40,000 of
the lady beetle predator Pseudoscymnus
tsugae were released in Maryland, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and 1,200 of the derodontid beetle, Laricobius nigrinus, were released in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West
Virginia.
In Connecticut,
landscape populations were down this year. Due to predator release, adelgid
mortality on woodland sites was generally very high. At predator release sites,
hemlocks exhibited vigorous new shoot production and low levels of adelgid in
the crown. The abundance of new shoots on hemlock crowns over much of the State
was in stark contrast to drought stressed hemlock crowns on 2002. In Massachusetts
7 new communities were added to the list of communities with known
infestations. A total of 274 acres of
decline and mortality were observed during the aerial survey. The State continued to release and monitor Pseudoscymnus tsugae, with 11 release
sites and a total number of ladybird beetles released at approximately
65,000. The severe cold experienced
during February 2003 resulted in adelgid mortality near 90 percent in some
locations. This insect mortality,
combined with the increased rainfall during the growing season, has increased
the health of the hemlock substantially.
During 2003 hemlock woolly adelgid infestations were found for the first
time in native Maine hemlocks at
2 locations in the southern York County.
Both infestations are less than two years old and still confined to few
branches per tree at trace to light levels. One infestation is scattered
throughout Gerrish Island,
a small island connected by bridge to Kittery Point, which has 500+/- acres of
mixed hardwood/softwood growth. The second infestation is in York
and confined to a ½ acre area in a residential area. The Maine Forest Service
is in the process of conducting ground surveys around the infested areas.
Infestations were also found in three landscape plantings in Kennebunkport
(York County),
South Portland (Cumberland
County), and Northeast
Harbor (Hancock
County). A total of 15 trees
varying in size from 6 to 16 feet were removed and destroyed. The infestations
were brought to the attention of the State by the general public as a result of
Maine’s media alerts and are all linked to shipments from other States. Since
1999, a total of 146 infested hemlocks have been removed from 43 sites.
In New
Hampshire, currently only Rockingham
County is quarantined. In 2003 three new sites were found: Chester
and Atkinson in Rockingham County
and Jaffrey in Cheshire County. Adelgid has been found in four counties:
Rockingham, Hillsborough, Merrimack,
and Cheshire; however, due to the
small number of trees infested, eradication attempts seem successful and
Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Cheshire
Counties are not quarantined. The
new sites are believed to have been infested through natural spread by
birds. In New York,
the hemlock woolly adelgid continues to cause damage and mortality to native
forest and ornamental eastern hemlock trees.
Ground surveys indicated that the distribution of this insect did not
spread as significantly as it had the previous year. The adelgid was found in Albany
County for the first time in 2003
and several new township records were discovered as well. In Rochester,
which is more than 200 miles from the nearest natural infestation, two
additional infested sites associated with planted stock were found. It is still hoped that the adelgid can be
eradicated from the Rochester
area. Damage is most severe in areas
that have been infested for several years.
In some areas a majority of the trees are infested and many of those are
in declining health or dead. Pockets of
hemlock mortality can be seen from the air in infested areas. The adelgid continued to kill tees in Rhode
Island. Many
urban and suburban trees were being successfully treated with insecticide and
horticultural oil. Infested forest stands are in the decline.
Hylurgops palliatus
Region 9/Northeastern Area: New
York, Ohio, Pennsylvania
Host(s): Pine, larch, spruce
This European bark beetle,
recovered for the first time in North America in a
forest stand of Norway spruce, Scotch pine, and red pine in Erie,
Pennsylvania in 2001 was the subject of a
delimiting survey in 2003. Prior to
2001, this species has been the third most frequently intercepted exotic bark
beetle at ports in the United States. This species is known to breed in log stumps
and basal portions of dead and dying host trees in Europe. The threat that it represents to these
conifer hosts in the United States
and Canada is
uncertain. In 2003 20 sites in 9 western
Pennsylvania counties, 3 sites in
2 northeastern Ohio counties, and
6 sites in 2 western New York
counties were surveyed from March to May.
The species was recovered at all sites in Ohio,
15 sites in Pennsylvania, and 2
sites in New York.
Pear thrips
Taeniothrips inconsequens
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Vermont
Host(s): Red maple, sugar maple
Populations in Vermont remain low with light widely scattered defoliation.
Red-haired pine bark
beetle
Hylurgus ligniperda
Region 9/Northeatern Area: New York
Host(s): Pines
The State is not aware of any new trap records for
this bark beetle. Previously, it had
been found in Monroe, Wayne,
and Ontario Counties and considered established in Monroe County. It primarily
infests dead stumps, but may be a vector of Leptographium fungi to
healthy trees during maturation feeding.
Red pine scale
Matsucoccus resinosae
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island
Host(s): Red Pine
New infestations in Massachusetts
totaling 100 acres were identified in Hampden and Hampshire
Counties. Scale occurs statewide in
Connecticut and Rhode
Island.
Satin moth
Leucoma salicis
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
Host(s): Aspen
As
in 2002, defoliation of both quaking and bigtooth aspen by this species was
very limited this year in Maine. Dieback of tree crowns from past feeding
damage is quite apparent in the area between Millinocket Lake and Mt. Katahdin in central Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties that had sustained heavy damage in past years. Heavy localized defoliation occurred in New Hampshire. Widely scattered mortality has occurred in Vermont from previous defoliation.
Smaller Japanese cedar
longhorn beetle
Callidellum rufipenne
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut
Host(s): Northern white-cedar or eastern arborvitae
and junipers
The smaller cedar longhorn beetle,
a native to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and eastern China, was first seen in the
United States in Milford, Connecticut in 1998 in the branch of a live
arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis. Quarantine remained in effect in several
northeastern counties.
Winter Moth
Operophtera brumata
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Massachusetts
Host: apple, northern
red oak, American elm, red maple, basswood, poplar, willow
For a number of years coastal Massachusetts
has been experiencing defoliation by loopers, presumably fall cankerworm or Bruce
spanworm. This past growing season
concern rose about the continuing defoliation and an effort was made to confirm
the identification of the defoliator. In
December Cornell
University positively identified
the samples as Winter Moth. A total of 24,423 acres of defoliation
were documented in Plymouth, Barnstable,
Norfolk, and Essex
Counties.
DISEASES: NATIVE
Annosus Root Rot
Heterobasidion
annosum
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Michigan, Wisconsin,
Vermont
Host(s): Red pine
In
Michigan, nine centers of infection were identified, affecting
from 10-50 trees per center. In Wisconsin, Annosus root rot was first reported in 1993 as a
cause of mortality in a red pine plantation in Adams County. A new county,
Dunn, was found to have the disease, bringing to 11 the total number of
counties known to have diseased stands. In Vermont the disease is observed occasionally causing
significant butt rot in sawtimber white pine.
Anthracnose
Gnomonia spp.
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia
Host(s): American sycamore, ash, beech, birch, maples,
oaks, miscellaneous hardwoods
The
wet and cool conditions in spring and summer of 2003 created conditions optimal
for anthracnose development. Anthracnose
was incidentally observed in New Jersey and Maryland. Ohio aerial surveys found 175 acres with discoloration and
11 acres that were defoliated by this fungus.
Pennsylvania ground surveys recorded numerous tree species,
including American sycamores affected by anthracnose, in 16 northwestern
counties. A total of 42,782 acres were
found to have anthracnose-damaged foliage or shoots. In addition, Pennsylvania also recorded a total of 900 acres that were defoliated,
discolored, or had significant dieback. West Virginia aerial surveys detected 18,573 acres with discolored
tree canopies and another 272 acres of defoliation. The disease was present
throughout Connecticut on many hardwoods including sycamore, oak, ash,
beech, maple, and hickory. Sycamore was particularly hard-hit; many trees
refoliated three times and anthracnose developed on newly formed leaves each
time. Observed in Massachusetts on 2,645 acres of maple, sycamore, and oak in Worcester and Berkshire Counties. Individual
sycamore trees were completely defoliated in sections of the Connecticut Valley. Anthracnose diseases on various hardwoods were
prevalent in New
York. Sycamore anthracnose was visible from the air
in riparian areas of southeastern New York and the maple anthracnose-forest tent caterpillar
complex caused some significant tree mortality in St. Lawrence County. Anthracnose of oaks and ash were commonly
observed during ground surveys. A cool, wet spring enhanced the disease on many
hardwoods in Rhode
Island,
especially white oaks. Many mature white
oaks suffered complete leaf drop, but later refoliated. Damage was scattered on maples, oaks, horse
chestnut, and sycamore. The disease was occasionally heavy in Vermont, especially on ash and sycamore.
Botryosphaeria canker
Botryosphaeria spp.
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Vermont
Host(s):
Chestnut oak, red oak
Very prevalent on a wide assortment of drought
stressed woody plants in Connecticut,
including Leyland cypress, maple, dogwood, beech, and
oak. Found in Pennsylvania on approximately 5,000 acres of trees that exhibited
various symptoms of foliar discoloration, twig dieback, and defoliation. The
increased observation is most likely the outcome of the 1999-2002 droughts that
persisted throughout most of the State.
Scattered dieback occurred statewide in Vermont; an increase in damage attributed to drought.
Eastern dwarf mistletoe
Arceuthobium pusillum
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont
Host(s): Black spruce, red spruce, white spruce
Severe
damage as the result of infection by this parasitic plant continues to occur in
stands of white spruce in coastal areas of Maine. However less
mortality than usual was observed in 2003.
Favorable growing conditions, with ample precipitation, seemed to reduce
mortality from the higher levels we observed in recent drought years. Scattered damage occurred on spruce in New Hampshire, upstate New York, and Vermont.
Hemlock needle cast
Fabrella tsugae
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Pennsylvania
Host(s):
Eastern hemlock
In Pennsylvania
this fungus caused a total of 57 acres of damaged foliage and shoots in Franklin,
Juniata, Lawrence,
Luzerne, Perry, Pike, Schuylkill, and Somerset
Counties.
Oak wilt
Ceratocystis fagacearum
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa,
West Virginia, Wisconsin,
Host(s): Northern red
oak
DISEASES: NON-NATIVE
Beech bark disease
Cryptococcus fagisuga and Nectria
coccinea var. faginata and Nectria galligena
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia
Hosts(s): American
beech
The
disease was endemic throughout Connecticut. In Massachusetts, Berkshire, and Franklin Counties continued to experience decline and mortality caused
by this disease. Damage on 6,956 acres
was recorded during 2003. The disease was widespread in New Hampshire and was found readily throughout New York. In Maine, losses attributable to the disease were extensive
but assessment of the damage is complicated by the effects of drought,
oystershell scale, late spring frosts, and various hardwood defoliators. There
was an increase in incidence of damage in Vermont statewide, with approximately 90,000 acres affected.
The beech bark disease fungus was
observed for the first time this year at the Holden Arboretum in Lake
County, Ohio. The beech bark disease scale has been present
in the Arboretum and in other parts of Lake
County for nearly 20 years. The scale, with the fungus, finally
establishes the beech bark disease complex in Ohio. In Pennsylvania,
aerial surveys found 47,865 acres with declining or dead beech and 6,047 acres
with discolored canopies concentrated in Warren,
McKean, Forest, Elk, and Cameron
Counties. West Virginia
surveys found an increase in the number of acres and counties with beech trees
infected with scale from 2.4 million acres in 2002 to 3.3 million acres in
parts of 14 counties in 2003. Within the
last 5 years, beech scale has spread into 7 new counties—Greenbriar, Hampshire,
Hardy, Mineral, Nicholas, Preston, and Webster. The killing front was detected over an area
encompassing 1.3 million acres in portions of Barbour, Grant, Pendleton,
Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker,
Upsure, and Webster Counties.
Michigan
has over 7 million acres of Maple-Beech-Birch type with an estimated 138
million trees in all size classes. Over
200,000 acres were now affected by the disease.
The eastern part of Alger County
in the Upper Peninsula was now part of the killing
front. Two thousand acres of forest land within Luce
County in Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula were currently being salvaged. The slow spread of beech scale to new areas
continued.
Dutch elm disease
Ophiostoma (=Ceratocystis) ulmi and
Ophiostoma novo-ulmi
Hosts(s): American
elm
Symptoms of this disease are still conspicuous
throughout the mid-Atlantic States. A
survey for Dutch elm disease in Washington, DC
this year showed a decrease in disease incidence from 4.5 percent in 2002 to
3.8 percent in 2003. The disease in
endemic throughout the region. In Connecticut
there was a greater than usual incidence and severity, possibly associated with
several years of drought stress in combination with other weather and
site-related stresses. Symptoms of the
disease were conspicuous throughout Maine
during 2003 and New York. Many of
the trees now succumbing are mature individuals in urban and suburban settings,
which survived the initial wave of the disease through the region. In Vermont
mortality is statewide and wilting was more common on young trees.
European larch canker
Lachnellula willkommii
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine
Host(s): Larch
The
trend for this disease is static and the quarantine remains in effect; no
evidence of spread from infested areas to non-infested areas was noted in 2003.
White pine blister rust
Cronartium ribicola
Region
9/Northeastern Area: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin
This
disease occurred across New
England and New York at various levels of infection in white pine stands.
Blister rust is endemic
in several areas in Connecticut; not particularly active
this year. In Massachusetts isolated spots in white pine regeneration continue to
be observed. Most observations were in Southern Berkshire and central Worcester Counties. Maine
continued limited control efforts to manage this disease in certain high value
pine stands. In 2003 a total of 690
acres of pine timber was scouted for Ribes
plants in Androscoggin and Oxford Counties and 1,440 Ribes
plants were destroyed. White pine blister rust continues to be a problem in the
landscape as well, often involving trees, which were infected when purchased as
nursery stock. The average incidence of the disease statewide in New Hampshire is 2.4 percent. No reports of blister rust were
received from New
York in
2003. New York’s state quarantine law was amended in 2003 to allow
planting of disease-resistant black currant cultivars, so the level of blister
rust infection will be watched for any potentially significant changes in the
foreseeable future. Blister rust was common statewide in Vermont. This disease remained common, but static at moderate
levels in West
Virginia in
Mercer, Monroe, Pocahontas, and Summers Counties.
For years managers were reluctant to manage white
pine in the Lake States for fear of losses to blister rust. Observations of many disease-free and
minimally affected trees prompted surveys which confirmed an increase in the numbers
of white pine throughout Lake States forests.
Blister rust still has a significant impact in localized areas where
conditions are favorable for infection, but management now focuses on
underplanting, pathological pruning, and planting at higher densities to
successfully grow white pine within the blister rust zone. Outside the high hazard zone, blister rust is
having little impact to eastern white pine.
DISEASES: ORIGIN UNKNOWN
Butternut canker
Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Regionwide
Host(s): Butternut
The disease
remains endemic through the range of butternut.
No new counties have been discovered that harbor the disease and the trend is static.
Dogwood Anthracnose
Discula species
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Regionwide
Host(s): Flowering dogwood
This disease has spread throughout the range of
flowering dogwood in the Northeastern States and has eliminated flowering
dogwood in localized areas.
Leaf Tatters
Unknown Cause
Region
9/Northeastern Area: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Hosts(s): White Oaks and Hackberry
For about the last 14 years this condition has appeared sporadically
across the landscape. Symptoms appear in
the spring when leaves develop without mid-vein tissue. The second flush of leaves develops normally. The cause is unknown but herbicide, weather,
or insects may be involved.
DECLINES/COMPLEXES
Ash Decline
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Vermont
Host(s): White ash
Noteworthy
incidences of unexplained death of mature white ash occurred throughout Connecticut for the past 2 to 3 years, probably associated with
yellows and drought stress. Ash yellows disease was confirmed in New Hampshire in Sullivan, Cheshire, and Hillsborough Counties. Decline of white ash, particularly in urban fringe
areas, was scattered throughout Rhode Island, with many trees loosing over 50 percent of their
foliage. Decline in Vermont was widely scattered and often associated with ash
yellows.
Bacterial leaf scorch
Xylella fastidiosa
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Delaware, Maryland,
New Jersey
Host(s): Maples,
Northern red oak, scarlet oak, and pin oak
In Delaware
bacterial leaf scorch is known to occur in New Castle
County. In 2003 bacterial leaf scorch surveys
determined the infection rate and spread of the disease within select cities in
New Jersey and in Rockville,
MD.
These surveys complement the New Jersey
and Maryland statewide surveys
done previously that showed significant and rapid increases in disease
intensity and spread throughout these states. City-based increases in disease
incidence were also apparent when measured as the number of trees infected,
newly infected trees, disease spread into new localities, and infection spread
within individual trees.
Brown ash decline
Fraxinus nigra
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine
Host(s): Black ash (brown ash)
Maine brown ash plots were not measured in 2003 but some
plots were visited to check for drought effects and it was found that brown ash
condition was stable, with no obvious decline due to drought.
Elm yellows
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Maryland, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, West
Virginia
Host(s): American
elm, slippery elm
No
report of this disease was received from Maryland or Ohio in 2003. Elm
yellows surveys in Pennsylvania found 96 acres damaged in Bradford, Centre, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, and Union Counties. In West Virginia the elm yellows disease continues to remain within
the Eastern Panhandle.
Larch stressors
Larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii, and Eastern
larch beetle Dendroctonus simplex
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Maine, Vermont
Host(s): Eastern larch
Native
eastern larch and some larch hybrids In Maine continued to be under serious
stress from several pests and significantly fluctuating water levels especially
during 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003.
Approximately 5,100 acres of seriously defoliated, discolored, and dead
larch were mapped. In addition to this
mapped acreage, scattered individual larch and small clusters of stressed or
dead trees were seen throughout eastern and north eastern Maine (a gross area of over 1.4 million acres). Nearly all stands mapped in 2003 contained
examples of all the stressors listed but the most common and most visible agent
in mapped area was larch sawfly. In Vermont approximately 4600 acres of larch decline were
observed. The severity was worsened by
drought, larch casebearer, and larch beetle.
Oak Decline
Region 9/ Northeastern Area: Connecticut,
Minnesota, Missouri,
Vermont
Host(s): Red oaks
Considerable unexplained dying of
oaks occurred in Connecticut,
with many contributing factors such as drought and Armillaria root rot. In Vermont
dieback and mortality of oak was widely scattered. In Minnesota about 12,500 acres of oak mortality were
detected in northern counties. About
4,300 acres were associated with the two lined chestnut borer in areas
previously affected by drought, and defoliation by the forest tent caterpillar.
In Missouri oak decline in the Ozarks is a complex
phenomenon involving primarily red oaks of advanced age that are growing on
soils that are shallow, rocky, and drought prone. Drought conditions of the past several years
have accelerated the decline and led to attacks by secondary fungal agents and
wood boring insects. Armillaria root rot
and Hypoxylon canker are commonly associated with decline and mortality, as are
the red oak borer, two-lined chestnut borer, carpenter worms, and a variety of
other borers (Cerambycidae, Buprestidae, and Brentidae). It is estimated that over 100,000 acres of Mark Twain National Forest land has sustained scattered mortality due
to oak decline.
Spruce Decline
Region 9/Northeastern Area: Maine, Vermont
Host(s): Spruce
The declining health of Maine’s
coastal spruce stands continued in 2003.
Maine has experienced
drought conditions during 4 of the last 7 years and conditions remained dry
during the first half of the 2003 growing season. Spruce stands along the central and eastern Maine
coast in Hancock, Waldo, Lincoln,
and Washington Counties
exhibit the most significant deterioration.
White spruce seemed to be most stressed.
The slow growth and poor vigor has made coastal spruce increasingly
susceptible to blow down and biological pests including eastern dwarf
mistletoe, spruce beetle, and hemlock looper. In Vermont
spruce dieback and mortality was evident on about 14,000 acres statewide due to
drought and other factors.
Sugar maple decline
Region 9/Northeastern Area: Connecticut,
Pennsylvania, Vermont
Host(s): Sugar maple
Incidences of “unexplained” death of mature sugar
maples occurred in Connecticut,
possibly associated with drought, salt damage to roadside trees, Armillaria
root rot, Verticillium wilt, and other factors. Over 50,000 acres of dieback
and mortality occurred statewide in Vermont,
a significant increase in hardwood decline and mortality attributed to drought.
Since the mid-1980s, the health and decline of sugar maple in northern Pennsylvania
has been associated with several droughts and several insect defoliations
across the unglaciated and glaciated regions of the Allegheny Plateau. Studies across elevational gradients in this
region have shown that low soil pH adversely influences tree growth and crown
vigor. Insect defoliation and drought
are additional stressors on sugar maple trees.
White pine decline
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut, Maine, Vermont
Host(s): White pine
Incidences
of declining white pine (young and mature trees) were observed in Connecticut, possibly associated with drought or salt damage. In Maine the condition of pines affected by white pine decline
stabilized in 2001and has remained relatively stable since. Following the drought of 1995 and until 2000,
white pines with symptoms of this disease declined and died on sites where
rooting depth was restricted. There has
been very little additional mortality in any of the stands. In Vermont dieback and mortality was noted in drought stressed
areas.
ABIOTIC DAMAGE
Drought
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Missouri, New
York, Pennsylvania, Vermont
Host(s): Black oak,
red oak, white oak, hardwoods and softwoods
After-effects
are evident in Connecticut in many woody species, especially hemlock, pine,
maple, dogwood, and ash. In Massachusetts the effects of previous season of drought continue to
be observed. On some stands this has
caused an increase in borer activity, resulting in further decline and
mortality. A total of 1407 acres, mostly
on the higher elevation of Berkshire County was mapped during the annual aerial survey. Although 2003 was a wetter growing season in
many parts of New
York, effects
of drought from 2001 and 2002 were noticeable on a variety of species. Impacts ranged from slowed growth, to
weakened resistance to secondary pests (such as Ips spp. in red pine
plantations, and hickory bark beetles in hardwood stands with a hickory
component), to mortality of severely stressed trees (such as American beech
with beech bark disease). In Vermont drought related mortality of stressed tress continued
on shallow or disturbed sites. In Cameron County, Pennsylvania aerial surveys
revealed 144 acres of mortality caused by drought. Northwest, west central, and north central Missouri were hit hard by drought over the past 2 years. In the northwest, deficits are approaching 25
inches, 65 percent of normal. The
lingering effects of long-term droughts resulted in continuing widespread
decline of oaks throughout the southern part of the State. Above normal precipitation in the region
should have some short term benefits, but age and density of stands will result
in continuing oak mortality.
Fire
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Pennsylvania
Host(s): Hardwoods
and softwoods
In Pennsylvania
aerial surveys detected 1,224 acres of mortality caused by wildfire in Lycoming
County.
Flooding
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Vermont
Host(s): Hardwoods and softwoods
In
Connecticut and Vermont wet conditions in spring and early summer of 2003
caused root damage in many areas. Aerial surveys detected 198 acres of
mortality in Elk
County, Pennsylvania due to flooding.
Frost
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Pennsylvania
Host(s): Hardwoods
and softwoods
In Pennsylvania
over 2,444 acres of mortality was reported in Cameron and Elk
Counties.
Ice/snow
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Connecticut, Maine,
Maryland, New
York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
West Virginia
Host(s): Hardwoods
In
Connecticut considerable breakage from ice storms in December
2002 occurred, especially in northern and central areas of the State. In Maine most trees damaged by The Ice Storm of 1998 now show
significant recovery of affected crowns. Even in the most heavily damaged
areas, trees on average now have 40-75 percent of the crowns they had prior to
the ice storm. White ash and yellow birch had the highest rates of crown
recovery; trembling and bigtooth aspen had the least and tree mortality was
relatively low except for paper birch, bigtooth aspen, and trembling aspen. In New York a February ice storm damaged approximately 850 acres in
Tompkins, Schuyler, Cortland, and Tioga Counties, with most of the damage being on Tompkins County. Another storm
in April caused light to moderate damage across a 1.2 million-acre area and
moderate to heavy damage in a 440,000-acre area of Monroe, Wayne,
and Cayuga Counties.
In Maryland
aerial surveys revealed over 30,000 acres of damage in Garrett and Allegany
Counties due to an October 2002 ice
storm. A President’s Day weekend (February 16-17, 2003) ice and storm
swept over portions of Ohio and West
Virginia causing trees to be uprooted and branches
broken on thousands of acres. In
southern Ohio almost 100,000
acres of trees were damaged in Adams, Gallia,
Jackson, Lawrence,
and Scioto. In
West Virginia over 300,000 acres of trees were observed to be uprooted and with
most having broken branches in Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Jackson, Lewis,
Mason, Nicholas, Putnam, Roane, Webster, Wirt, and Wood Counties. In Pennsylvania
aerial surveys detected approximately 700 acres of ice-damaged trees in Lycoming
County.
Salt damage
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: New
England States and
New York
Host(s): Hardwoods and
softwoods
Widespread damage occurred from extensive road
salting during the extreme winter of 2002-2003.
White pine along the roadside was especially impacted.
Wind/tornado/hail
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
Missouri, Pennsylvania,
Vermont
Host(s): Hardwoods
and softwoods
A series of destructive storms
occurred in Missouri in late
April and early May. At least 40
tornadoes were spawned and 27,300 acres of forestland were damaged in western
parts of the state. The largest areas
were near the communities of Stockton
(16,220 acres), Camdenton (4,900 acres), Pierce
City (2,190 acres), and Liberty
(1,850 acres). Straight-line winds and
accompanying hail stripped foliage from trees in Cole
County (3,410 acres) and Howard
County (7,330 acres). Most hail-damaged trees had refoliated by
June but the new foliage was clumped and poorly distributed in tree
crowns. Over 58,500 acres of forestland
were damaged by winds in Franklin, Jefferson,
St. Francois, and Washington
Counties. In Pennsylvania
ground surveys in Potter County
detected approximately 3,000 acres of damage to maple/beech/birch. Heavy scattered branch breakage and mortality
occurred in Vermont on about
3,000 acres following a July windstorm.
Winter injury
Region 9/Northeastern Area:
New Hampshire, Vermont
Host(s): Fir,
Hemlock, Spruce
Extreme daytime and nighttime
temperatures caused hemlock browning and mortality in New
Hampshire. About 85,000 acres of spruce winter injury
was observed in Vermont, the
heaviest incidence of damage since 1993.
INVASIVE PLANTS
Region 9/Northeastern
Area: Regionwide
Host(s): Various forest and landscape trees
There
is clear evidence that invasive plant species are increasingly becoming an
important issue for both public and private land managers in the Northeastern
Area. Extensive surveys continued in the
New England States. In New York, the
number of public inquiries about and reports of giant hogweed in 2003 were
greater than in previous years, indicating the potential need for a systematic
survey for this plant, which presents a serious human health concern (contact
with the plant can cause very severe photo dermatitis. In Vermont, several invasive plants were a concern including
exotic species of buckthorn, barberry, and honeysuckle, along with Norway maple
and oriental bittersweet.