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Q&A ViewAttendees 1

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-Minute Paper

P-IE: Forest Entomology

Modeling polyphagus shot hole borer Euwallacea whitfordiodendrus colonization using canopy growth characteristics, a riparian restoration case study

Wednesday, November 3, 2021
9:24 AM - 9:36 AM MT
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Meeting Room 103-105
In-Person
Euwallacea whitfordiodendrus, the polyphagus shot hole borer (PSHB), is a recently established invasive ambrosia beetle to North America discovered in 2012 in California. Its associated fusarium fungus induces branch die-back and mortality for multiple tree species. PSHB has at least 65 known reproductive hosts including agricultural crops and ecologically important western riparian and wetland willow and cottonwood species. This broad host range makes identifying at-risk plants challenging when developing monitoring/management strategies. To provide a predictive framework for decision-making, we modeled PSHB colonization using tree biometrics within an invaded riparian forest restoration. We conducted a restoration study using pole cuttings of one woody shrub and four tree species in southern California, with 511 plantings occurring from December 2015 through November 2016. During the study’s second year, PSHB was found in the system creating an opportunity to study PSHB’s initial colonization trends. Survivorship and canopy growth metrics of each pole cutting species were recorded each summer through 2019, as well as the presence of PSHB in study years two and three. All tree species were colonized by PSHB by year three. A stepwise generalized linear model selection procedure determined which combination of modeled traits best fit our data. Year two canopy volume and year three canopy height significantly influenced colonization with height having the stronger effect, suggesting tree canopies act as environmental sieves during beetle dispersal. Predictive modeling estimated colonization probability throughout each species’ height range, enabling managers to use tree height for determining when species reach sufficient risk to require monitoring.