Scott Schlarbaum
Friday, October 17, 2008 - 9:00-9:30
American forested landscapes have been assaulted by exotic insects and pathogens over the last 175 years. A wide range of tree species including American chestnut, white pines, butternut, American beech, Port-Orford-cedar, oaks, American elm, Allegheny and Ozark chinkapins, Fraser fir, and eastern hemlock have been damaged by resident exotic pests for many years. More recently, new exotic forest pests have become established and attacked a different array of trees such as maples, flowering and Pacific dogwoods, redbay, pine and ash species. The most serious of newly introduced pests in Phytophthora ramorum, which causes Sudden Oak Death disease in a variety of hardwood species. The impact of exotic pests on host species has been devastating and extends to flora and fauna species associated with hosts, both above and below ground level. American landscapes, however, still remain green due to succession by native and exotic species. Explanations for the apparent widespread indifference to the damage caused by exotic forest pests and resulting lower species diversity are presented.
Keywords: EXOTIC FOREST PESTS, HOST SPECIES, NATURAL HERITAGE, INSECTS, PATHOGENS