Impacts of the Southern pine beetle on U.S. forest h abitats

1. Impacts of the Southern pine beetle on U.S. forest habitats Lauren Seitz

2. Southern pine beetle(DendroctonusfrontalisZimmermann) • 2-4 mm at maturity (smaller than a grain of rice) • Average of 6 generations per year • Native to S and SE USA • Extended range to NJ, PA, MO, TX, AZ, FL, and Central America http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/southern_pine_beetle.htm http://www.pinelandsalliance.org/protection/hotissues/ecological/southernpinebeetle/

3. How Southern pine beetles work • Females find a susceptible host tree • Females release pheromone, Frontalin • Frontalin act as a mating call, and attract males (and the rest of the population) to the host tree • Mating occurs and galleries are created to lay eggs

4. Southern pine beetle life cycle • Adult beetles lay eggs within the bark • Eggs hatch and larvae migrate to the inner bark, expanding the galleries created by their parents • Upon maturity, they travel to the outer bark, leaving an open hole in their place • They typically travel to a new neighbor tree and start the process again Powell, 2016

5. Targeted Species Most susceptible: • *Shortleaf pine (P. echinata) • *Loblolly pine (P. taeda) Other favorites: • Pitch pine (P. rigida) • Pond pine (P. serotina) • Virginia pine (P. virginiana)

6. How do they choose a location? • They swarm areas that are susceptible • Attacks frequently occur during//after stress • Floods • Storms • Damaged trees • Stressed trees • Dying trees • Prefer forests with high densities of saw timber and pulpwood • Cause millions of dollars worth of damages

7. The attack • Typically begins below the low tree braches // mid-trunk • Travels up to the lower crown • Infested trees called “spots” • Leaves turn pale green and yellow, eventually turning reddish-brown • Whole crown is infected • Pitch tubes appear • “S” shaped galleries beneath the bark • Possible introduction of Blue Stain Fungi

8. Physical symptoms https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/bark-beetles Clarke, Nowak 2009

9. Clarke, Nowak 2009

10. Example of a “spot” or group of trees infested by Southern pine beetles http://www.flbugs.com/southern-pine-beetle/

11. Another challenge: Blue Stain fungi • Southern pine beetles can carry Blue stain fungi on their bodies • The fungi get onto the tree they are attacking • Establishes itself on sapwood and feeds on the phloem tissue, cuts off water flow to the crown • Always fatal – with or without beetle presence

12. Natural predators • Colopetera: Cleridae aka Checkered Beetle (Thanasimusdubius) • Attracted to the pheromone, Frontolin • Follow similar life cycle, but have less generations • Larvae and adults can attack Southern pine beetle larvae https://bugguide.net/node/view/366388/bgimage

13. Effects on n.J. forests • Re-entry in 2001 • Has impacted 26,600 acres since • 440,000 acres of South Jersey are forests dominated by pine species • Average of 1,000 acres devastated each year • Rutgers estimates that 80% of our forests could be impacted in the next 10 years if action is not taken

14. Preventative management • Preventative management methods can keep Southern pine beetles from inhabiting and infesting trees • Promotes healthy forests • Removing damaged trees • Removes potential susceptible host trees • Thinning • Southern pine beetles like dense forests • Thin trees so they are at least 20 feet apart • Stand densities with basal areas of 120 ft2 or more should be reduced to no more than 80 ft2 • Planting less susceptible species • Longleaf pine (P. palustris) • Slash pine (P. elliottii)

15. Management methods for infested forests • Funnel traps • Baited with Frontalin • Cuts: cut and remove, cut and leave, cut and hand spray, and pile and burn • Salvage cut is most recommended, and most effective • Cuts all infected trees as well as the trees within 50-100 feet of infestation • Typically can sell the wood to sawmills

16. experiment • Purpose: Initial weeks of infestation are unknown, but the information could be useful in identifying attacks early on, potentially saving the tree and preventing further spread • Hypothesis: Early symptoms will occur, possibly bark modifications • Experimental design: Introduce Southern pine beetles into a controlled pine stand to learn more about the early spot life and symptoms • Limitations: Potential to take a lot of time—need separate, controlled pine stand

17. References • Ayres, Matthew P., S.J. Martinson, N.A. Friedenberg. Southern Pine Beetle Ecology: Population within Stands. • Booth, Donald C. Southern Pine Beetle Identification, Biology and Management. Bartlett Tree Experts. Accessed on April 17, 2018 from https://www.bartlett.com/resources/Southern-Pine-Beetle.pdf • Clarke, Stephen, R., J.T. Nowak. 2009. Southern Pine Beetle. U.S. Department of Agriculture: Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet 49. Accessed on April 17, 2018 from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/publications/spb_success_story.pdf • Maryland Department of Agriculture. Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonusfrontalis. Accessed on April 17, 2018 from http://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Documents/southernpinebeetle.pdf • Powell, Ben. 2016. Identifying the Southern Pine Beetle. Clemson University. Accessed on April 17, 2018 from https://www.clemson.edu/extension/publications/files/forestry-wildlife/fw03-identifying-the-southern-pine-beetle.pdf • Rutgers. Southern Pine Beetle Kills New Jersey Pine Trees. Accessed on April 17, 2018 from http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/forest/docs/southern_pine_beetle_sm.pdf • U.S. Forest Service Department of Agriculture. 2005. Southern Pine Beetle Prevention and Restoration Program. Accessed on April 17, 2018 from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/publications/spb_success_story.pdf