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EAB A Management Strategies Experts work together to further the discussion about emerald ash borer — and answer some pressing questions By John Kmitta s mentioned in the March issue of Arbor Age, univer- sity researchers and extension specialists, tree and land care company representatives, non-governmental organizations, municipal arborists and foresters, and providers of management solutions recently joined together as the newly formed Coalition for Urban Ash Tree Conservation (CUATC). Their goals are to clarify misconceptions about emerald ash borer (EAB) management options and bring a unified voice to EAB management strategies. Since the forming of CUATC, members of the coalition have been working toward their goals by hosting seminars and providing additional support. “A lot of communities didn’t realize that ash was one-third of their trees,” said Dr. Joe Chamberlin, field development manager, southeast, for Valent Professional Products. “We wanted to get together the leading researchers and arborists.The primary message is not that you should go out and treat all of your trees or that you should use one particular product, but rather that you should incorporate an overall management program.” At a recent seminar titled “Management Strategies for Emerald Ash Borer,” Dr. Fredrick Miller of Joliet (Ill.) Junior College and the Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Ill.), presented a range of topics related to EAB management, including the life history of EAB, the 6 Arbor Age / April 2011 Damage from emerald ash borer. Photo by John Kmitta overall condition of the forest resource, the pros and cons of ash phloem reduction (cutting of trees), the pros and cons of insecti- cide treatment, and the impact of doing nothing at all. EAB is present in 15 states plus Ontario and Quebec, and attacks North American ash species (green, white, blue and black). There is usually one generation per year, but it can extend to a second season. According to Miller, signs of EAB infestation include epicormic branching, woodpecker activity, D-shaped emergence holes, and thin crowns on well-established trees. Miller urges arborists to know the condition of their forest resource. This involves a comprehensive tree inventory including species composition, age classes, pests and diseases, hazard trees and overall tree health. If you are going shopping, you need to know what is in your pantry, Miller added. According to Miller, the ideal composition of the forest resource is no more than 30 percent from a single plant family, no more than 20 percent from a single genus, and no more than 10 percent from a single species.There should also be an even distri- bution of young, middle-aged and mature trees. Arborists should also know their EAB population dynamics, including distance to the nearest known infestation, what adjoining communities are doing about EAB, what the EAB pressure is in their area and adjoining areas, and whether homeowners would be willing to treat their trees. www.arborage.com TREE SCIENCE TREE SCIENCE