Snow along a row of white pine in Kirtland, Ohio.
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Hi all,
It’s February! Is your time flying by or are you stuck in the snow? Get ready to grow with our latest news.
-Rachel Kappler
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Forest Genetics 2025
Registration and abstract submissions are open for Forest Genetics 2025 — ‘Harnessing Genetic Diversity for Resilient Forests’ — a joint conference between the Western Forest Genetics Association (WFGA), Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee (SFTIC), and Northern Forest Genetics Association (NFGA). Come join us in State College, Pennsylvania this summer, June 23–27, 2025.
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Abstract submission: We are now accepting abstract submissions through the website. The deadline for abstract submission is March 1, 2025.
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Registration is now open: Please visit the conference website for more details and to register. The deadline for early bird registration is March 15, 2025.
National Invasive Species Awareness Week
is February 24–28, 2025. From the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) website: National Invasive Species Awareness Week is an international event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threat that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread.
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Report a survivor American elm. Besides using Treesnap to report large (>22 inch DBH) American elms, you can also use ArcGIS survey123.
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Elm on Holden F&G property. | |
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Every other month, researchers and land managers meet online to discuss news related to beech leaf disease. If you fall into one of these two groups please email mpitts@holdenfg.org to get added to the listserv for these meetings.
- There’s also a new update to the BLD distribution map:
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Last year, we mentioned that the U.S. Forest Service was to assess the germination rate of lingering ash seed lots to identify which are high enough quality to be included in progeny plantings. That has happened and now future research plans include establishing plantings to rate the resistance of the progeny trees against EAB over time and estimating the overall genetic diversity of the orchards. The locations will be in Lower Michigan and Ohio and trees will be planted in 2026. Progeny test plantings may also be turned into seed producing orchards with the best survivors for ash reforestation in the long term.
- This year's grafting of lingering ash is underway at the Forest Service's Northern Research Lab (OH) and at Holden F&G!
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Green ash grafted and set up for hot callus healing at Holden F&G. (Photo: R. Kappler) | |
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Monitoring hemlock: We are still encouraging areas that have HWA but low hemlock mortality to set up a monitoring plot that will not receive pesticides. We aim to learn more about the local infestation timeline and gather data on trees that persist after others have died.
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Have an update to share in the next GLB FHC newsletter? Email us! | |
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Report a survivor American elm. Besides using Treesnap to report large (+22 inch DBH) American elms, you can also use ArcGIS survey123.
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Start a lingering ash orchard/planting. We’re looking for more organizations that can host a long-term fenced lingering ash orchard/planting in the future. Please reach out if you are potentially interested, and let us know how much space you have and whether you’d need funding to help get it started.
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Set up a workshop. As always, training workshops to help with monitoring, seed collection, tree propagation, grafting, using the TreeSnap app, and more are available for free online or in-person. Contact Rachel Kappler today to set one up for your organization!
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Beech traits most predictive of short-term mortality: Diameter >20 cm, crown dieback, canker coverage, and Neonectria fruiting bodies. The authors give suggestions for selecting trees to mark for removal. (Dumont et al. 2025 Canadian J of Forest Research)
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New ground-based method for detecting pathogens in a tree’s canopy. Researchers at Cleveland State University and the Holden Arboretum report a new way to sample stemflow in order to detect out-of-reach canopy pathogens. It worked especially well on BLD-infected trees during bud formation periods. (Gordon et al. 2025 SSRN preprint)
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Injectable TBZ treatment promising for beech trees. Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories tested root flare injections of thiabendazole (TBZ) on nematode-infested beech trees. One season after treatment, they found 70-99% fewer nematodes in the tree buds. (Loyd et al. 2025 Arboriculture & Urban Forestry)
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Substantial ash regeneration in a 20-years-post-EAB Michigan forest. Michigan State researchers found regenerating ash were abundant across seedlings, saplings, and recruits. Living ash basal area was inversely associated with red oak (Quercus rubra) and basswood (Tilia americana) but surprisingly, no impacts to composition were found from dead ash. (Wilson et al. 2025 Forest Ecology & Management)
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Expect significant changes to bird communities in a post-EAB hardwood forest. In Southern Ontario, the bird community was significantly altered between 2010 (EAB absent) and 2014 (90% ash tree death). There were significantly fewer foliage-gleaning and canopy-nesting birds, and more cavity nesters taking advantage of the new real estate. (Venier et al. 2025 SSRN preprint)
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Why do purple traps attract female EAB? They think it’s bark. A researcher duo in Wales used artificial neural networks to study how beetle photoreceptors of different colors affect the insects’ perceptions of leaves and bark. They confirmed that a green trap would register as leaves, while triggering a beetle’s red and blue photoreceptors give the “this is bark” signal. (Santer & Akanyeti 2025 Insect Science)
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Cities hit by DED and EAB now have slightly more equitable tree distribution — but the issue persists. Tree-lined city streets of elm and ash were not exactly evenly distributed across our cities’ neighborhoods. Their losses technically improve equity of urban tree canopies, reminding that environmental justice should be incorporated in pest management and replanting efforts. (Martin & Conway 2025 Urban Forestry & Urban Greening)
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EAB-egg-killing fungi show promise as new biocontrol tool. Researchers screened nine strains of entomopathogenic (insect-infecting) fungi for effectiveness against EAB eggs. Three were effective ovicides, surviving emerging larvae were infected. (Simeto et al. 2024 Forests)
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Pre-salvage ash logging encouraged ash regeneration in forests across New England. A team in Vermont studied forest structure and composition in sites where white ash had been preventatively harvested. Recruitment of new ash was better in these areas compared to unharvested sites. (Higgins et al. 2024 SSRN preprint)
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When’s the best time to monitor EAB damage? Depends on if you’re on the ground or using remote sensing. A team from Beijing found the optimal window for detecting EAB: For field surveys, it’s May to November, but for remote sensing, it’s August to October. In those earlier months, visual symptoms can be detected but differences in hyperspectral reflectance aren’t yet detectable. (Zhou et al. 2024 Pest Management Science)
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Six years after release, EAB biocontrol parasitoids kept 75% of trees healthy. Even after treatments were halted, canopy health only experienced minor declines across study sites in neighborhoods in Syracuse NY, Naperville IL, and Boulder CO, SUNY researchers found. (Morris et al. 2024 Biological Control)
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Effectiveness of two EAB larval parasitoids depends on temperature. USDA ARS researchers tested Spathius agrili and S. galinae at different temps. S. agrili attacked significantly more hosts at warmer temps; by 91 F (33 C), S. galinae’s attack rate was down to zero. (Dang et al. 2025 Biological Control)
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In 22 years, healthy hemlocks across southwest Virginia have seen 30% mortality and survivors are in “poor” condition. A team led by Virginia Tech researchers tracked HWA and EHS impacts as they spread across 67 sites with hemlock stands. Declines in health were worst where there were higher percentages of branches infested with HWA, trees had greater DBH, there was greater total tree basal area per hectare, and at sites at lower latitudes. (McAvoy et al. 2025 J of Forestry)
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Highest risk to non-target soil invertebrates is within 2 meters from hemlocks treated with imidacloprid. This insecticidal basal bark spray is a common treatment for HWA. Researchers tested for lingering imidacloprid at different distances from treated trees for two years after application. (Edge et al. 2025 Canadian J of Forest Research)
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Have new research to share in the next GLB FHC newsletter? Email us! | |
The Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative is an initiative co-sponsored by Holden Forests & Gardens and the USDA Forest Service, funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative | |
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. | |
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MISSION: Holden Forests & Gardens connects people with the wonder, beauty, and
value of trees and plants, to inspire action for healthy communities
VISION: All communities transformed into vibrant places where trees, plants, and people thrive
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