Little green men: the emerald ash borer is proving to be a serious threat to the U.S. supply of ash trees.It's little, it's green and it's causing a whole lot of trouble for domestic ash trees. It's the emerald ash borer  This article or section may deal primarily with the U.S. and may not present a worldwide view. , and
if you have not heard of it yet, you probably will soon because U.S.
entomologists The following is a list of entomologists, people who have studied insects.Name Born Died Country Speciality John Abbot 1751 1840 United States and forestry experts say this unwanted visitor is threatening America's abundant supply of ash trees. "The emerald ash borer has the potential to do harm on a scale of the Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease: see diseases of plants; elm. Dutch elm disease Widespread disease that kills elms, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis ulmi. It was first identified in the U.S. ," said entomologist Phil Pellitteri, distinguished faculty assistant at University of Wisconsin, Madison. Pellitteri said the insect, a native of China, was first discovered in southeastern Michigan in 2002, but experts believe the emerald ash borer, also known as EAB EAB Emerald Ash Borer (insect) EAB Environmental Appeals Board (EPA) EAB Educational Activities Board (IEEE) EAB Environmental Advisory Board EAB Egyptian American Bank , first arrived a decade earlier. "We suspect the emerald ash borer came to the United States via the port of Detroit on dunnage DUNNAGE, mer. law. Pieces of wood placed against the sides and bottom of the hold of a vessel, to preserve the cargo from the effect of leakage, according to its nature and quality. 2 Magens, 101, art. 125, 126 Abbott on Shipp. 227. or on solid wood packing materials," said Pellitteri. "Entomologists didn't suspect a problem initially because the damage to the trees was similar to that caused by other pests." The EAB was first detected after it had infested in·fest tr.v. in·fest·ed, in·fest·ing, in·fests 1. To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious: and killed thousands of ash trees in southern Michigan. When experts realized they were dealing with a new and potentially deadlier problem, they immediately mobilized. "EAB is 100 percent fatal to an ash tree and the best science to date is that there is little that can be done to save ash trees once they have been infected," according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture. To date, 20 counties and outlying areas have been quarantined due to evidence of EAB infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. . As many as 15 million ash trees have already been affected by the EAB. The adult beetles nibble on ash leaves and cause little damage, but the larvae Larvae, in Roman religion Larvae: see lemures. feed on the inner bark. This is what kills the tree by harming its ability to transport water and nutrients. The EAB has also been found in Windsor, ON, Ohio and northern Indiana. The hardest hit area, however, remains southeastern Michigan. The EAB seems to be targeting ash trees exclusively in North America, and what is surprising, said Pellitteri, is that they target healthy, as well as diseased trees. "The EAB does not do similar damage to ash trees in China or Russia." The fight against EAB has been aggressive. Experts have joined forces to publicize the problem. Several states have enforced quarantines to prevent infested ash firewood, logs or nursery trees from being transported and starting new infestations. Eradication efforts by state and federal agencies in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Canada are underway to prevent small infestations from growing into large problems. On March 22, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state[1]. issued an emergency rule banning out-of-state firewood in state parks and other DNR See dynamic noise reduction and domain name resolver. properties. All About Ash Ash is used for cabinet work and interior joinery joinery, craft of assembling exposed woodwork in the interiors of buildings. Where carpentry refers to the rougher, simpler, and primarily structural elements of wood assembling, joinery has to do with difficult surfaces and curvatures, such as those of spiral , plywood, oars, cues and the handles of striking tools and hoes, spades and forks. Some ash is sliced into decorative veneer for furniture and paneling, and it also is prized for its wood-bending properties. Greg Shadko, owner of Wood Craft of Michigan in Eaton Rapids, MI, uses ash along with a variety of other woods. "I like ash because it is a cheaper alternative to hard maple," Shadko said. "We have been doing some new product testing but I'm not sure if I will use ash in new designs because I'm not sure that the supplies will be there or if the price is going to go up." Shadko already has seen a slight rise in the price of ash. He is encouraged that researchers are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. ways to use salvaged wood, but said if the trees are too small or have worm holes, they are not useable for the higher end products he makes. Shadko said his supplier had been looking to northern Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that comprise the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to simply as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan, and more casually as the land "above the Bridge". for reliable sources of ash. Now that the EAB has been found in the UP, Shadko wonders what the impact will be on supplies. "There is a big question mark for us when it comes to ash and our future plans," Shadko said. He hopes the supplies remain available and reasonably priced. For more information on the EAB, its effect on ash, and studies and education initiatives about the issue, read the complete story at www.iswonline.com. Family Name Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica and Fraxinus nigra of the Family Oleaceae Common Names White ash, green ash, American ash, red ash, black ash, brown ash, Canadian ash Height/Weight Tree grows from 80 to 120 feet with 2- to 5-foot diameters. White, red and green ash weigh approximately 41 pounds per cubic foot, while black ash averages 35 pounds per cubic foot. Properties One of the best woods for steam bending. Glues, stains and polishes well. Wood has good strength, elasticity, toughness, stiffness and hardness qualities compared to its relative right weight. Editor's note: 132 Wood of the Month articles are now online, with more coming soon. Visit the Wood of the Month archive at www.iswonline.com |
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