Southern Forest Resource Assessment led by the USDA Forest Service's Southern Region and Southern Research Station in collaboration with the USEPA, US Fish & Wildlife, TVA, and state forestry agencies of the Southern United States

Broad Category: Forest Extent, Conditions, and Health

Question Managers: Denny Ward and Paul Mistretta, USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Atlanta, GA

Question HLTH-2: How have biological agents including insects and disease influenced the overall health of the South's forests and how will they likely affect it in the future?

1. Evaluate whether forest insect and disease impacts are related to forest management intensity.
2. Evaluate whether forest insect and disease impacts differ or is likely to differ by forest type and by forest ownership group.
3. Evaluate the effects of control options including chemicals.
4. Other biological agents include genetically altered trees.

Overview: Describe historical and current forest health conditions in the South as related to damage and change caused by biotic agents (insects, diseases, native animals, native plants, etc.)  Extrapolate current conditions into the future to project potential problems and impacts of these, or other currently inactive, agents

Methods of analysis:  Identify forest cover types and the pests which relate to these types.  Discuss pest activities with respect to; host type, amount of damage, and relation to ownership and management intensity.  Maps will be prepared to support all discussions (historical, current and future projections) where data are available and mapping is meaningful.  We will discuss treatment options and there possible effects on future conditions.  In the futuring section we anticipate producing risk maps and discussion to indicate areas of concern for future management

Breakdown of proposed types and pests affecting them and overall structure of the final response to the question is included as Appendix I and Appendix II.

Data Sources:  FIA – mapping information and data tables (see Appendix III); scientific literature – published and filed studies relating to forest health and the conditions affecting unacceptable biotic agent population buildup; annual conditions reports, the Forest Health Atlas; Existing risk maps; SPBIS; state agencies historical and current records of pest problems; CISC data where applicable and compatible; Field Office reports, FHTET reports, etc

Products: See Appendix I for proposed output format.  Write-up to include:

• Maps - ecotype map (FS modified Bailey map), forest type map (consistent with the breakdown of our analysis; FIA based), and species maps as needed for analytic support and documentation
• Tables of data for forest types affected showing historic, current and future effects where known;
• Analysis of this data to document past and present damage and to project future potential for biotic agent impact; and,
• Any other photo or other graphic material necessary to adequately document the analysis and our conclusions.

Collaborators and Sources:

• State forest pest specialists
• Federal forest pest specialists
• FIA
• Forest Health Monitoring Specialists
• Industry records or input where available
• Universities

Links to other questions:  

• Ecotype and forest type maps will link to several other groups
• Predisposing factor mapping & discussion – links to HLTH-3
• Exotic species - links to TERRA-2
• Forest management intensity data – links to TERRA-4 and others
• Human factors for damage predisposition – links to SOCIO-1

Unresolved Issues: 

1. Does TERRA-2 also include exotic I&D or does that fall here?
2. Should TERRA-3 include human activities as initial stressor?
3. How far west in Texas and Oklahoma does the assessment go?  Central and western FIA data for both states are wanting; however we have a major pest problem in central Texas which we feel needs to be addressed.
4. How do we address genetically altered trees?
5. Should we include genetically improved trees – or is this too speculative?
6. How far into the future are we projecting in the “futuring” exercise?

Cited and Other Relevant Literature:

---

Appendix I: Overview of documentation framework:

I.  Introduction

Chapter 1  Pest problem etiology – as relates to forest types

Chapter 2  Predisposition to disease – includes off site planting, people (linkage to socio/econ), environmental stressors (links to HLTH-3), diseases and insects as predisposers to other I&D problems, etc.

Chapter 3  Clarification/definition of intensity of management

Chapter 4  Discussion of treatment options including chemical options

         [later discussion of chemical options:  --  pros & cons  --  very limited list

·  HWA & BWA – safer soap & imidicloprid

·  GM – Bt, Mimic, NPV (Gypchek)

·  Tip moth

·  Texas Oak Wilt – Alamo

·  ARR – Sporax

·  Reproduction weevils (Pounce)

·  Texas leaf cutting ant –(Volcano)

·  Historical – SPB (lindane, BHC, Dursban)

·  Future – Verbenone & and other semiochemicals (SPB – small use); Hercon flakes (GM – increasing use)

II. Forest type – discussion by intensity (does not include either seed orchard or forest tree nursery sites)

• Historical Impacts (include brief discussion of minor or occasional pests not further discussed)
• Map (host/pest)

III. Discussion by pest, forest type, etc ==> a snapshot of pest activity

• Current Impacts
• Future Projections

IV.  Last Chapter – Global and Future Use

• Risk Map
• Growth loss map
• Special Concerns
• Future pests

---

Appendix II:  Pests by type for detailed analysis.

1)  White pine

a.  annosus root rot

b.  SPB – opportunistic effect

2)  Hemlock

a.  HWA

3)  Spruce/fir

a.  BWA

4)  Loblolly/shortleaf/slash/Virginia pine

a.  SPB

b.  other bark beetles

c.  annosus root rot

d.  fusiform rust

e.  litteleaf disease

f.  declines

g.  off-site planting

h.  reproduction weevils

i.  sawfly

j.  tip moth

k.  Texas leaf cutting ant

l.  native weeds – intensive regeneration problems

5)  Longleaf pine

a.  brown spot

6)  Upland/northern hardwood

a.  oak decline

b.  oak wilt

c.  gypsy moth

d.  ageing forest

e.  chestnut blight - historical

f.  dogwood anthracnose

g.  beech bark disease

h.  butternut canker

7)  Bottomland hardwood/cypress

a.  oak decline

b.  borers

c.  gypsy moth

d.  salt water intrusion, salt damage

8)  Oak/pine

a.  fusiform rust

b.  SPB

c.  annosus root rot

d.  littleleaf disease

e.  gypsy moth

9)  Live oak

a.  oak wilt

b.  oak decline

---

Appendix III:  Needed data and potential sources

General (may be a common need to all groups – may be a reference to some other section of the analysis):

Ecoregion Map

        Forest type map (from Atlas)

        Forest species map

Off-site species map (from FIA)

        Oak Hickory

          Age class distribution – data table

        Mapping form

Separate maps of distribution of pine species

        need age class distribution

        by stocking levels

Pest specific maps and data:

#1  White pine (GIS map)

FIA-forest type map-resolution adequate to segregate accurate range picture

        historic summaries of outbreaks

#2  Hemlock (map)

        FIA-forest type map & acreage-resolution adequate to segregate range picture

#3  Spruce fir (GIS map)

        BWA historical summary

#4  Lob/short/slash/Va pines–(map – FIA and GIS – use best)

        SPB (Atlas & SPBIS and the Price et al pub)

        fusiform rust – (FIA  & Atlas)

        annosus – (Stands thinned in last 9 years=> ARR; total to get % of thinning on high hazard soil)

        littleleaf – (FIA acres of loblolly and  shortlleaf by Age , ATLAS; also, acres of shortleaf & loblolly by age on high hazard soils [STATCO])

        off Site Planting – (References?, State Foresters)

#5  Longleaf – (GIS Map)

        brown spot- Kais map

#6  Upland/northern hardwoods – (map)

        aging Forest – (map & table by age class)

        oak decline – (complex) (ATLAS; update o.d. map/acres)

        oak wilt –(Atlas - updated)

        gypsy Moth – (Atlas – updated; no FIA)

      chestnut blight – (range map & FIA map of remnant stands of chestnut 1" and larger)

        dogwood anthracnose – (FIA % mortality => extrapolate for acres)

        ATLAS butternut canker

#7  Bottomland hardwoods--FIA(map)

#8  Oak/pine

        Needs covered in the pine and the hardwood types

#9  Live oak both maps above in upland/northern hardwoods)

        oak decline – (complex) (ATLAS; update o.d. map/acres)

        oak wilt –(Atlas - updated)

 modified: 6-JUL-2000