Ash Borer Infestation

Intro The emerald ash borer is an invasive wood boring insect that originated in Asia. The borer is believed to have crossed the Canadian and American border in the early 2000s by way of Windsor and Detroit (1). They have now infested much of Southern Ontario, as well as, in small parts of western Quebec (2). Emerald ash borers destroy ash trees by eating all the ash species in Ontario which include green, red, white, black, and ash trees. When beetles eat ash trees, they leave 4-5 millimeter holes in the bark of ash trees, shallow tunnel underneath the bark, and epicormic shoots (1). This can also result in wilted foliage, yellow leaves, the death of ash trees. The infestation in North America has destroyed in the tens of millions of ash
trees since 2002 (2).One of the major reasons the emerald ash borer has be successful in the spread of the infestation is because the borer has no known enemies to destroy the borer (3). This has created two main problems in Ontario. First, the destruction of ash trees has created a loss of timber that can be used for furniture and other building materials. But, it also hurts the environment of forests, rural communities, and urban communities (3).

Impacts Ontario has over 66 main tree species in rural and urban environments (4). Since the emerald ash borer has infected four of these critical species, the biodiversity of the Ontario forests has been damaged. Death of millions of trees and lowered tree cover has affected in allowing invasive species of trees and other plants like mustard weed room to invade in forests, as well as, allows for calcium buildup in soil (5).Calcium buildup negatively affects organisms that prefer soil with less calcium like oak and beech trees (6). The loss of the trees and the crucial root systems has caused soil erosion. The decrease in forest cover has also cause rise in water temperatures and microclimates that are required by small organisms(7).The increase in sunlight warm surface temperatures, so small species including pine beetles experience warmer temperatures, which can affect their reproduction and even kill the beetles (8). The rising of water temperatures is caused by the increase in sunlight caused by less forest cover. This can negatively impact flora and fauna as the rise in water temperatures decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen which can kill off fish and other insects, as well as, effect metabolism and reproductive rates (9). The major cause of biodiversity damage due to the death of ash trees is the loss of food for many species including insects and fungi (7). Ash is an extremely popular species to plant in urban Ontario communities, so the infestation of emerald ash borer has dramatically hurt cities’ infrastructure and biodiversity (10). Overall, the emerald ash borer has caused numerous problems to the environment of Ontario and will continue to spread to the rest of Canada unless, the species is eradicated.

Solutions As the emerald ash borer does not have any enemies that will destroy the species naturally, so not only is there not a natural way to stop this invasive species, the spread is hastened by the lack of death a major element in the circle of life. However, many communities in America and Canada are taking both precautionary measures and are dealing with already infected trees. In Kingston, about 12% of municipally owned trees are ash, so the city is taking multiple measurements against the borer in the form of ash removal and replacing those with other species, as well as, treating currently healthy trees with a bio-insecticide (11). Those are the two most popular options in North America, however, a new treatment method is being used in the United States and slowly being brought into Canada. There is a strand of parasitoids that is believed among Canadian and American researchers to be the answer (7). They are tiny wasps that lay their eggs in emerald ash borers’ larvae essentially causing the destruction of the emerald ash borers’ offspring before they can infest more ash trees (12). This is one of the best ways of stopping the emerald ash borer because there is no chance of it harming people like insecticides can, and is one of the few ways that could successfully stop the spread of the emerald ash borer. Overall, while it is hard to stop invasive species like the emerald ash borer, thanks to Canadian and American researchers, there is one possible solution to the infestation of the emerald ash borer.

Canadian researchers successfully raise wasps that kill emerald ash borer http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/canadian-researchers-successfully-raise-wasps-that-kill-emerald-ash-borer/article34362600/ Summary This article is about a possible solution to the emerald ash borer infestation.
As art of a bio-control program, Canadian researchers have been bred a type of parasitic wasp called Tetrastichus planipennisithat will help to kill emerald ash borer and help to stop the spread of the invasive species. The wasp species is a non-invasive alternative to pesticides, and does not affect people. It is currently being used in the United States and has been extremely helpful component of their efforts to stop the emerald ash borer. The Canadian government has used parasitic wasps since 2013, however, they have had to import the wasps from the United States. 60,000 wasps have been used in 12 areas in Ontario and Quebec. Using the wasps raised in Canada, the plan for this summer are to have 10,000 wasps that can be utilized in five to six new locations. The wasps work by laying their many eggs in emerald ash borer larvae, those offspring, then use the emerald ash borer for food. The offspring then can fly out and lay their eggs, effectively destroying the population of emerald ash borer, as well as, increasing the population of wasps. Overall, the article believes that these wasps will be effective as long as researchers and the government are able to breed enough of the
wasps.

This article clearly pertains to the issue of the emerald ash borer because it addresses one of the last options left to fix the infestation of the species. It was also written quite recently, so it is very relevant to the current situation. The article explains the origins of the emerald ash borer, the gravity of the situation and the impacts, and discusses a solution for the problem. Since those are my main sections of my report, the article is very closely tied to my topic. It also connects to the curriculum as it talks about current research done by Canadian researchers in the branch of biology, as well as, touches of the units of biodiversity of living things, and plants.

Scientists There is a large amount of research being done around the emerald ash borer, including much done by Canadians.
First, Canadian researchers from Sault Ste. Marie have successfully bred parasitic wasps that are part of an effort to stop the infestation. Canadian researchers from the CFS combined with American researchers have also create a trap and bait system to capture and stop the emerald ash borer (2). Even if these solutions work, the federal and provincial governments of Canada still have a major problem; Replacing millions of trees is a lot of work and requires a signiciant amount of money. To help with reforestation or possibly help to slow the emerald ash borer, researchers in Michigan are working to find the emerald ash broer resistant gene that Asian ash trees have, and try to find other ash species to cross breed this with to create an emerald ash borer non-invasive ash tree species. Researchers in Canada are adding to this by working with blue ash that appear to be more resistant to emerald ash borer (13). Overall, there is much research being done surrounding the emerald ash borer, and the government is aiding with a large share, which shows promise in the field of biological research and attempting to stop the emerald ash
borer.

Careers

There are many careers that have the opportunity of working emerald ash borer including ecologists, entomologists and forestry technicians. Ecologists are scientists that study the relationship between living organisms and the environment in which they live. Often, they work in collaboration with other researchers, and they generally deal with conservation. They deal with the collection and analysis of data about populations of species, climate, and biodiversity (14). They work with many different organizations including the government, NGOs, and universities, sharing their findings and their advice relating to their research topic. Ecologists are an unique profession because they work in many different areas including in the field obtaining samples, in the lab analysing the data, and the office publishing and organizing their information (14). This career requires interest in biology, math, and chemistry, as well as, at least an undergraduate degree, and often a masters or PhD (14). Entomologists are scientists that study insects, and look at classification, population distribution, and physiology. They often focus on a specific insect or look at urban and forest pests like the emerald ash borer, agricultural pests, and how to control pests (15). They are employed by the government, universities, and private companies. Entomologists require a working knowledge of insect anatomy and physiology, classification of insect, and control measures including insecticides. They require course such as math, biology, and chemistry. Entomology requires an undergraduate degree and postgraduate studies and work. They also require certifications in entomology (15). Lastly, forestry technicians work to maintain, preserve, andharvest forests. Forestry technicians can focus on reforesting efforts, assessing future forest sites and past forest sites, and collect forestry data (16). Forestry technicians often work in the field in forests, but they can also work in the lab organizing and compiling data. They often are employed by federal, provincial, and municipal governments, private companies like oil and mining companies, conservation authorities. Unlike the ecologist and entomologist, forestry technicians only need a technical diploma, however, some do go on to receive postgraduate degrees in forestry or natural resource management. They take courses in biology, meth, physical education, and geography (16). In conclusion, there are many jobs that can put people into working to fix the emerald ash borer problems, however, all require interest in biology, and environmental studies.