Threats to the Forest

ID our common forest Pests

Pests – Emerald Ash Borer Arrived in North America through improperly treated wooden packaging material from Asia. Long distance spread has been helped by people, especially through the movement of nursery stock or infested firewood. Emerald ash borer is now found throughout much of Essex County and part of Chatham- Kent in Ontario.

Pests – Asian Longhorn Beetle A native of China, it was likely introduced into North America by way of wooden pallets, crates, or packaging materials used in shipping. Kills a wide range of hardwood trees, including maple. Found in an industrial park bordering Toronto and the City of Vaughan in 2003.

Pests - Mountain Pine Beetle The current outbreak has destroyed wide areas of lodgepole pine forest, including more than 16 million hectares in British Columbia. Normally, these insects play an important role in the life of a forest, attacking old or weakened trees, and speeding development of a younger forest. Unusually hot, dry summers and mild winters, along with forests filled with mature lodgepole pine, have led to an unprecedented epidemic.

Pests - Sirex Woodwasp A native to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, it has been accidentally introduced into many parts of the world, most recently to North America. Also known as horntails, they attack and kill living pine trees. In parts of its introduced range it has caused significant tree mortality.

Pests - Spruce Budworm There are nearly forty Choristoneura species. Eastern Spruce Budworm is one of the most destructive native insects in the northern spruce and fir forests of the Eastern United States and Canada. Western Spruce Budworm is the most destructive defoliator of coniferous forests in Western North America. It is now widely distributed throughout the Rocky and Coast Mountains.

Pests – How about this one?

Have you seen any of these Diseases?

Diseases – Dutch Elm Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungi affecting elm trees, and is spread by the elm bark beetle. In an attempt to block the fungus from spreading farther, the tree reacts by plugging its own xylem tissue with gum and tyloses, bladder-like extensions of the xylem cell wall. As the xylem delivers water and nutrients to the rest of the plant, these plugs prevent them from travelling up the trunk of the tree, eventually killing it.

Diseases – White Pine Blister Rust White pine blister rust alternates between five-needle pines and Ribes spp. (currants/gooseberries). In many regions of Canada, the volume of white pine has been depleted to the point where it is no longer considered a viable commercial species.

Diseases - Bacterial Canker of Cherry Bacterial pathogens survive the winter in bark around small cankers, in infested buds, and the vascular system of infected trees. In the spring the bacteria multiply and are dispersed by rain to blossoms and young expanding leaves.

Diseases – Beech Bark Scale Beech bark disease results in severe die- back in mature Beech trees, potentially creating a significant threat to wildlife, biodiversity, and sustainable forestry in Ontario. Disease begins with many scales feeding on beech tree sap while they form a covering of white wooly wax over their body. Opened wounds in the bark allow the nectria fungus to colonize the bark, cambial layer, and sapwood of the tree. The disease then produces cankers sometimes resulting in isolated tarry spots oozing from the bark and /or raised blisters and calluses on the outer bark covering much of the trunk.

Fire In Ontario, the 10 year average is 1,142 forest fires which burn 137,208 hectares of forest.