Call to action re: Emerald Ash Borer

[Daniel Mosquin]

From Frank Telewski, Professor and Curator of the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum, Michigan State University, as posted to the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta Listserv:

As many of you are aware, the introduction of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) into North America is currently threatening all North American species of Fraxinus. Despite efforts to restrict the spread of this insect in Michigan, the insect continues to expand its range. At a recent meeting here at the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, I discussed with Dr. David Ellis of the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation to possibility and potential of using the national/international network of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta via the AABGACOL listserv to assist in a genetic preservation program and to facilitate the:

1. Sharing of information on existing collections of documented wild specimens in botanical gardens and arboreta.
2. Collecting of documented wild populations of ash for the conservation of North American ash species.

The conservation program is as follows: In the case that control and eradication efforts of the EAB are not successful, the ARS and NRCS in collaboration with the US and Canadian Forest Services have entered into an agreement to preserve seed of Fraxinus species in North America (including western species) in response to the growing threat from the Emerald Ash Borer. The project originally focused on the collection and preservation of ash from Indian Tribal lands in Michigan but was rapidly expanded to include the collection of ash throughout the Lake States. Recently the project expanded to include, where possible, seed collections of all Fraxinus species native to North America. To facilitate this expanded collection of North American species, it has been suggested that botanical gardens and arboreta may have specimens of many native Fraxinus species in their collections of documented known wild source and could collect seed as part of this project. Additionally, would the curatorial staff of your garden or arboretum be willing to collect Fraxinus seeds from the wild local populations in their region, supplying specific location data? GPS coordinates would be most helpful in documenting the origin of wild collected Fraxinus seed.

If you have native Fraxinus species in your garden or arboretum and are willing to collect seed from these trees or from trees growing in the wild
near your institution, could you please contact Dr. David Ellis for details:

Dave Ellis, Ph.D.
Acting Curator
Plant Genetic Resources Preservation Program
National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation
1111 South Mason Street
Fort Collins, CO 80526
USA
telephone - 970 495 3227
fax - 970 221 1427

Thank you in advance for your collaboration on this conservation effort.

Sincerely,

Frank W. Telewski
Professor and Curator
W. J. Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824

you should let me know what the steps needed to fix the proplem are. That way i can write to the ones who run this country and tell them what they should be doing. It would be taken more seriously if it sounded intellegent.

[jimmyq]

Huh?

[NiftyNiall]

Double Huh!! Lets keep an eye out for these critters;
In Canada they are already in Ontario; Check out the Canadian inspection agency site at:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/.../agrplae.shtml

In British Columbia:
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/emerald.htm

Plague & pestulence. I will be keeping an eye out for these insects at the Riverview Hospital Arboretum, (they are probably just waiting for a plane ride )

[chuckrkc]

I understand Michigan has a thriving ash-growing industry to supply baseball bat manufacture and other hardwood needs. That industry has created a monoculture that is more at risk. More than 40,000 square miles affected in Michigan, Indiana, Ohip and Ontario. Does the borer affect other species?

I also fear Sudden Oak Death, since every subdivision in the past 40 years has planted hundreds of oak trees. I fear this could wipe trees out in neighborhoods much like Dutch Elm Disease did during my childhood. My fingers are crossed, but I don't think Sudden Oak Death has reached Missouri yet. It perfers the moister climes of California and Oregon, I think. However, I think it also affects rhododendrons, so there are two important vectors for its spread.