Start Date
3-8-2022 12:00 PM
End Date
3-8-2022 12:10 PM
Abstract
The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis), is a destructive and costly exotic forest insect in United States. A dietary specialist, EAB feeds and congregates almost exclusively on ash species (genus Fraxinus [Family: Oleaceae]). While EAB has not yet been detected in the Pacific Northwest, there is a consensus among scientists and practitioners that its introduction is all but inevitable, posing a serious concern for the endemic Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia). Oregon ash is highly susceptible to EAB and will therefore be imperiled and potentially driven to functional extinction when EAB establishes in the Pacific Northwest.
While the loss of Oregon ash due to EAB would have an impact on riparian canopy and habitat of local waterways, the extent of this impact is uncertain without an estimate of the existing Oregon ash abundance and distribution. This study assessed the abundance and location of Oregon ash along two local waterways (mainstem Columbia River Slough and Johnson Creek) and evaluated the potential impacts of canopy loss due to EAB and the implication for riparian shade and resulting water quality. Results indicate the EAB-mediated loss of Oregon ash would impose significant short- and long-term impacts to water quality though increased thermal loading.
Subjects
Conservation biology, Land/watershed management, Water quality
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/38000
Captions
Quantifying Impacts to Water Quality from the Introduction of an Invasive Wood-boring Insect
The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis), is a destructive and costly exotic forest insect in United States. A dietary specialist, EAB feeds and congregates almost exclusively on ash species (genus Fraxinus [Family: Oleaceae]). While EAB has not yet been detected in the Pacific Northwest, there is a consensus among scientists and practitioners that its introduction is all but inevitable, posing a serious concern for the endemic Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia). Oregon ash is highly susceptible to EAB and will therefore be imperiled and potentially driven to functional extinction when EAB establishes in the Pacific Northwest.
While the loss of Oregon ash due to EAB would have an impact on riparian canopy and habitat of local waterways, the extent of this impact is uncertain without an estimate of the existing Oregon ash abundance and distribution. This study assessed the abundance and location of Oregon ash along two local waterways (mainstem Columbia River Slough and Johnson Creek) and evaluated the potential impacts of canopy loss due to EAB and the implication for riparian shade and resulting water quality. Results indicate the EAB-mediated loss of Oregon ash would impose significant short- and long-term impacts to water quality though increased thermal loading.
