Progress 11/28/18 to 12/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Scientists and professionals Changes/Problems:During this first field season (2019), the population of SLF in the sites was low and this did not result in any visible crown health changes in the trees. We do not expect any SLF effects in this year's growth. Unfortunately, this is an important factor in our study but not one that can be controlled. The data collected in 2019, however, provide a very sound baseline for the sites and will allow us to model climate effects on tree growth at the species level. During the second year (2020), three additional sites were established within the quarantine zone to increase the likelihood of substantial SLF presence. Two of the new sites had substantial numbers of SLF during the season. However, data collection will end in mid-October 2020. Therefore, data analysis will occur after the end of this project's period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The first year provided a research experience and field training for threeundergraduate students. Students learned about research aspects of research data collection and management (accuracy, documentation, management, reproducibility). After the experience, one of these students decided to pursue graduate studies and is currently on the first semester of a MS program. In addition, this project provided an opportunity to develop mentorship skills to a graduate student that worked with twoof the undergraduates during the establishment phase of the field study. Two additional graduate students helped in the end of the season tree coring and gained additional field research experience. It also partially supported a post-doctoral scholar that worked on monitoring the SLF population using traps. During the second field season, two graduate students and an undergraduate student received mentoring and training in field measurements and data management. Graduate students also developed skills in the field of dendroecology. The graduate students will start data analysis under Leites' supervision in Fall 2020 and continue into Spring 2021. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have not been disseminated yet because we are currently finishing data collection on the second season. Data analysis and reporting will occur in the upcoming months. After data analysis is finalized, we expect to disseminate results in professional conferences and publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Establishment of a field study: During this study, five sites were established within the quarantine zone in Pennsylvania: Musser Scout Reservation, Natural Lands' Crow's Nest Preserve, Texter Mountain Nature Preserve, Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Blue Marsh Lake. The first two sites were established in 2019, while the latter three sites were established in 2020. All sites have areas of mixed-deciduous forest, and they differ in the level of urbanization density and forest fragmentation surrounding the sites. In all sites, approximately four-hectare (tenacres) areas of mixed-deciduous forest were delineated and fixed-area, 500 m squared, circular permanent plots were systematically located. In addition to the mixed-deciduous forest areas, in two of the five sites, additional Acer rubrum and Juglans nigra trees were identified and measured, while in one site, additional Ailanthus altissima trees were identified and measured to increase our understanding of the Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF)effects in these particular host species. In total, five sites, 56 plots and 888 trees were located and monumented. First two years of data collection: Year 1: Field season 2019: In the sites established in 2019, i.e., Musser Scout Reservation and Crow's Nest Preserve, all trees with diameter at breast height (dbh) > 12.7 cm (fiveinches) in each plot were identified and monumented. At the start of the field season in May, the following variables were recorded for each tree: species, dbh, crown class, and tree height. Every tree was also visually assessed for crown damage using a qualitative scale. To obtain measurements of diameter increment in subsequent years, diameter growth bands were installed in the trees at this point (dendrobands hereafter). During the growing season, sites were monitored bi-weekly and trees inspected for changes in crown health, as well as presence, counts, and life stage of SLF. In early July, in each site, half of the plots were treated with the systemic insecticide dinotefuran to serve as control plots. The purpose was for trees in those plots to provide a reference of the growth and crown health of unaffected trees. At that time, SLF traps were installed outside three-four plots in each site and SLF in the traps counted biweekly. At the end of September, trees with dbh ≥ 20 cm were cored to provide diameter increment measurements through the past 40-60 years. Lab work: after the field season, 212 cores were mounted, sanded, and measured providing estimates of diameter growth increment for the past 40-100 years for important tree species including: Acer rubrum, Juglans nigra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fagus grandifolia, and Quecus alba, among others. Year 2: Field season 2020:In the sites established in 2019, Musser Scout Reservation and Crow's Nest Preserve, the dendrobands were measured weekly to provide data of diameter growth phenology for the different tree species and identify which SLF stages could potentially affect the current year diameter growth. In early July, the tree-level SLF counts were augmented by adding twotraps outside two-threeplots per site. Counts were made biweekly until the end of the field season, and traps were rotated to another two-threeplots to provide estimates across the forest area. In mid-July, in each site, two-threeplots were treated with the systemic insecticide dinotefuran to serve as control plots. At the end of July, all sites were surveyed for presence and abundance of vines and other understory plants known to be SLF hosts (e.g., multiflora rose). At the end of September, a sample of trees with dbh ≥ 20 cm were cored in Blue Marsh and Texter Mountain Natural Preserve. Trees in Welsh Mountain Natural Preserve were not cored due to the absence of SLF during the growing season. In addition, a sample of trees in Musser Scout Reservation and Crow's Nest Preserve were cored to help adjusting dendroband readings to previous diameter growth measurements from the tree cores. The last site visit will occur on October 17-18, 2020. Lab work: 182 cores were obtained at the end of September, 2020. Those will be mounted, sanded, and measured over the next few months, and provide additional estimates of diameter growth increment for the past 40-100 years for the same tree species included in 2019. In addition, tenAilanthus altissima trees were cored, which adds to the sample of SLF host species. Data compilation for economic assessment: USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis tools are being used to calculate the growing stock volume of wood for susceptible species for the quarantine area and for the entire state. Species include Acer rubrum, Juglans nigra, and Liriodendron tulipifera among others. Objectives 1 and 2 (Leites 95%, McDill 5%) - With data collected in both seasons, we will model annual diameter increment-climate relationships. This will allow us to separate climate effects from potential SLF effects later. Diameter growth phenology data will be used to model the length of the diameter growth period during the growing season for different species. Matching that data with the length of presence of the different SLF life stageswill allow us to determine which SLF life stages can potentially affect current year's growth and which life stages can potentially affect the following year's growth. Data from trees with high numbers of SLF will be used to model diameter growth as a function of climate, tree characteristics, and SLF levels to quantify potential SLF effects. In addition, average growth rates before and after 2014 (first year were SLF were detected in Pennsylvania) will be compared to identify any trends that may be caused by the SLF. We will also conduct comparisons of crown health and leaf senescence between control and affected plots to assess potential impacts of SLF adults on crown foliage. We note that these objectives have not been accomplished yet because we had to add threemore sites in 2020 due to the lack of high SLF populations in the sites established in 2019. Therefore, data collection ended in October 2020. Data management is currently being conducted and analyses are planned to start in March 2021. Objective 3 and 4 (Leites-Objective 3, McDill - Objective 4) - For species where a decrease in diameter increment is detected, we will calculate reductions in biomass, carbon storage, and loss of economic value. We note here as well that these objectives have not been accomplished yet because we had to add threemore sites in 2020 due to the lack of high SLF populations in the sites established in 2019. Therefore, data collection ended in October 2020. Data management is currently being conducted and analyses are planned to start in March 2021. With regardto objective 3, preliminary results from this study and from monitoring the literature on the impact of SLF provide scant evidence that SLF will have a substantial impact on Pennsylvania's timber industry. Impacts on tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) can be considered a benefit of the SLF. Beyond tree of heaven, impacts on eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) may be significant;but, black walnut is not an important commercial tree species in the state. While SLF has been found on red maple (Acer rubrum) and a few other species, no SLF-caused mortality has been documented yet. Analyses from the data collected in this project will allow us to assess potential impacts on growth rates. These may be temporary, however, as the SLF does not seem to stay permanently at a given site. The primary negative economic impacts of SLF on trees is more likely to be due to aesthetics and quality-of-life issues than to impacts on Pennsylvania's timber industry.
Publications
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Progress 11/28/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Scientists, graduate and undergraduate students, general public Changes/Problems:During this first field season, the population of SLF in the study sites was low and this did not result in any visible crown health changes in the trees. We do not expect any SLF effects in this year's diameter growth. Unfortunately, this is an important factor in our study but not one that can be controlled. For next year we plan to add another site to increase the chances of having at least one site with a large SLF population. The data collected this year, however, provides a very sound baseline for the sites and will allow us to model climate effects on tree growth at the species level. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The first year provided a research experience and field training for 3 undergraduate students. Students learned about research aspects of research data collection and management (accuracy, documentation, management, reproducibility). One of these students is currently applying to graduate school. In addition, it provided an opportunity for mentorship for a graduate student who worked with 2 of the undergraduates during the establishment phase of the field study. It partially supported a post-doctoral scholar that worked on estimating the SLF population levels. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated during coordinating meetings with other scientists working in collaboration with this project, and through brief reports to partners at Musser Scout Reservation and the Natural Lands' Crow's Nest Preserve. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period a second field season at the long-term study will be conducted following the same protocols used this year. In addition, a new study site will be added with the goal of increasing the chances of having a large SLF population affecting the trees' growth. The tree cores collected during the first season will be processed and measured, and statistical analyses conducted. Final biological/ecological and economic analyses and reports are expected to be completed by the end of the second year. Outreach activities will be conducted with partners at Musser Scout Reservation.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. Establishment of a long-term field experiment and first field season A long-term field study was established during this period to assess potential spotted lanterfly (SLF) effects on forests through the years. The long-term study consists of two sites in the SLF quarantine zone in Pennsylvania and are located in the Musser Scout Reservation in Montgomery County and in the Natural Lands' Crow's Nest Preserve in Chester County. In each site, three research areas have been established. These include: 1) a mixed hardwoods forest area (approx. 15 acres), a black walnut area and a red maple area. In the mixed-hardwoods forest area, permanent fixed-area plots were established in systematic fashion. In each plot, all trees were monumented and their species recorded. Trees were also measured for diameter at breast height, total tree height, crown ratio, and crown class to provide a baseline of their health and competitive status. In trees with diameter larger than 20 cm, dendrobands were installed to record diameter growth in subsequent years. In the black walnut and red maple areas, a group of 5 and 10 randomly chosen trees were also monumented, and measurements taken in the same way described above. Outside each plot in the mixed-hardwoods research area and interspaced within the black walnut and red maple areas, 4 trees were selected and equipped with special bands to trap SLF and assist in the estimation of population density. In total, 324 trees were monumented and measured. During the growing season, trees were monitored for changes in crown health and inspected for presence of SLF every other week. Trap bands were also monitored and SLF counted when trapped. At the end of the growing season, diameter increment cores were obtained for all trees above 20 cm in diameter. These cores will provide estimates of annual increment in the past 10-20 years and allow us to model species-specific growth-climate relations. This is necessary to untangle SLF effects from climate effects. The study and the data collected provide the baseline needed to accomplish objectives 1 to 3. 2. Recruitment of a graduate student A graduate student was recruited and started a MS program in August 2019. This student will base his research thesis on this project's objectives and lead the second field season under the supervision of Leites. 3. Data compilation for economic assessment USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis tools are being used to calculate the growing stock volume of wood for susceptible species for the quarantine area and for the entire state. Species include black walnut, red maple, tulip poplar, sycamore, black birch, yellow birch, among others.
Publications
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