Ecological and Hydrological Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been decimating ash throughout the Great Lake States and is currently advancing into Minnesota, threatening the future of the ash forests that occur across much of the state. Of particular concern is the impact EAB will have on the ecology and functioning of black ash swamps, which cover over one million acres in Minnesota and represent the state’s most common ash forest type. Black ash trees grow and thrive in swamps and occupy a unique wet niche where few other tree species grow. As a result, EAB impacts on black ash swamps will likely be extreme, resulting in dramatic changes in native plant communities and increasing the potential for invasion by exotic plant species.
This project will increase our understanding of the ecological and hydrological impacts of EAB through the establishment of a network of research sites in black ash forests in Minnesota. Treatments simulating EAB-induced ash mortality will be implemented at each site to characterize how the loss of ash from these systems will impact native plant communities, the spread of invasive species, and site hydrology. In addition, the survival and growth of a mixture of planted tree seedlings will be evaluated to determine what species might be able to mitigate the ecological impacts of the loss of black ash from these forests. Results from this project will allow for predictions into how EAB will affect northern Minnesota’s forests and will inform management recommendations for mitigating impacts of this exotic insect.
$636,000 is from the trust fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to assess the potential impacts of emerald ash borer on Minnesota's black ash forests and quantify potential impacts on native forest vegetation, invasive species spread, and hydrology. This appropriation is available until June 30, 2015, by which time the project must be completed and final products delivered.
Click on "Work Plan" under "Project Details".
Click on "Work Plan" under "Project Details".