Grant: Strategic Projects Supplemental Competition

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive bark-boring beetle that was introduced from Asia approximately 10 years ago. EAB infests all species of ash, inevitably resulting in the death of the tree, has already killed a large number of trees in SW Ontario and threatens an estimated one billion trees in the province. This is not only an ecological problem, but also an economic one: ash wood is economically important for tool handles and sporting equipment (like baseball bats), and the majority of urban trees planted since the decline of elms are ash. Currently there are no effective controls for this destructive pest, and because of poor-quality data from its native range in Asia, it is unclear how far the EAB infestation will extend beyond its current limit at London, ON. We hypothesise that winter conditions may limit EAB range, and will test this using a combination of physiology, microclimate temperature monitoring and mathematical modeling. We will measure the physiological responses of EAB to low temperatures and also monitor winter microclimate temperatures in ash trees at 16 sites across Ontario, representing both urban and woodlot settings. We will then use modeling to allow us to predict 1) how the wider climate (and climate change) affect overwintering sites for EAB and 2) how temperature might affect the ability of EAB to survive winter in different parts of Ontario and Canada. This will allow forward planning of the ongoing response to the EAB invasion by the Canadian Food Inspections Agency and by foresters in both urban and woodland settings.