Forest Health at DNR. Western Washington Forest Health. Forest Health Program. Amy Ramsey Forest Pathologist, Forest Health Olympia, WA

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1 Forest Health at DNR Provide technical assistance, monitoring, education, and research. Western Washington Forest Health Amy Ramsey Forest Pathologist, Forest Health Olympia, WA Forest Pathology tree diseases Includes fungi, bacteria, viruses Forest Entomology tree insects Includes bark beetles, weevils, defoliating caterpillars, sucking insects (like aphids) The Forest Health program is involved with organisms and events that: Kill trees Slow tree growth Damage wood products Photo by G. Kohler Photo by K. Zobrist Forest Health Program Provide technical assistance on tree and forest health care for public and private landowners State Farm County Woodland Municipal Urban managers Industrial Residential owners Forest Forest Health Health Program at DNR Services Forest health workshops On-site prescriptions Applied research Cooperative studies Demonstration sites Annual detection Aerial survey Ground surveys Annual Forest Health Highlights report 1

2 Agenda Forest Health and general tree health concepts Identification & Management Foliar insects and diseases Weather related damage Dwarf mistletoes Bark beetles Root diseases Invasives What is a healthy forest? Well, it can be really simple and very complicated Where to get help with identification Factors influencing Forest Health 1) Forest Ecosystem Processes 1) Nutrient cycling 2) Water transport and filtering 3) Wildlife habitat 2) Tree and forest resiliency to insects and diseases What does a healthy forest look like? 3) Landowner objectives 2

3 Factors influencing Forest Health 1) Forest Ecosystem Processes 1) Nutrient cycling 2) Water transport and filtering 3) Wildlife habitat 2) Tree and forest resiliency to insects and diseases 3) Landowner objectives Forest Ecosystem Processes Diseases and insects are a natural part of ecosystem; at low levels act as thinning agents recyclers 3

4 Stand Development over time Forest Ecosystem Processes Diseases and insects are a natural part of ecosystem; at low levels act as thinning agents recyclers Diseases and insects cause structural and functional changes in individual trees in forest areas Factors influencing Forest Health 1) Forest Ecosystem Processes 2) Tree and forest resiliency to insects and diseases 4

5 Priorities for Tree Growth 1. living tissue 2. fine root and leaf production 3. flower and seed production 4. height, branch, root growth; scar tissue 5. diameter growth and resistance to insects and disease Vigorous trees can resist insects and pathogens Vigorous trees can recover from damage or disease What might caused a tree to be stressed? Adventitious root growth Fire scorched ponderosa pine 5

6 Factors influencing Forest Health 1) Forest Ecosystem Processes 2) Tree and forest resiliency to insects and diseases What are they? Landowner Objectives They drive decisions for management of diseases, insects and abiotic damaging agents 3) Landowner objectives Factors influencing Forest Health 1) Forest Ecosystem Processes 2) Tree and forest resiliency to insects and diseases 3) Landowner objectives Steps to Diagnosis: Needle Cast What are the clues? Note damage and trees affected. Note signs and symptoms. Look for pattern to damage development. Look at the big picture over the site. Incorporate personal or local knowledge. Root disease 6

7 Symptoms and Signs Symptom: effect of the organism causing damage Sign: the actual organism Symptoms and Signs Symptom: effect of the organism causing damage Sign: the actual organism Thinning crown (left) White pine blister rust Laminated Root Rot Ectotrophic mycelium (white on root) The disease triangle is integral for understanding tree diseases. Different diseases and insects can affect different parts of the tree. Foliar diseases Root and butt diseases Bark Bark Beetle Mortality Bark Beetles Attack trees weakened by competition, defoliation, drought, root disease, and fire Are generally tree host and size specific Damage occurs rapidly, but is not immediately APPARENT 7

8 Current attack: essentially dead Bark Beetles general biology Focus initial attack on weak or injured trees Can switch to a coordinated mass-attack of nearby vigorous trees Recent attack: dead Bark Beetles general biology Feed on phloem Locate and attack susceptible trees (host volatiles) Use complex pheromone communication Bark beetle adults Hard-bodied, cylindrical beetles Brown to black 1-9 mm in length Elbowed, clubbed antennae Ecological Roles of Bark Beetles Affect plant succession kill mature, weakened or damaged trees Influence nutrient turnover Create wildlife habitat Snags - cavity nesting birds, bats, etc. Openings browse for big game animals Effects on stand structure and composition Increase potential for wildfire Mountain pine beetle outbreak in Canada. Cumulative affected area is 52,000 square miles or 73% of Washington State. 8

9 Douglas-fir Beetle Hosts: Douglas-fir, may kill western larch Breeds in felled, injured or diseased trees, resulting in widely scattered mortality Epidemic populations kill apparently healthy trees over extensive areas Douglas-fir beetle Early symptoms Boring dust Pitch streams Douglas-fir beetle Late Symptoms Red crown Pouch fungus Douglas-fir beetle management Maintain tree vigor Don t injure stems or roots Douglas-fir beetle management Salvage blowdown and any infested trees before two springs pass Douglas-fir beetle management MCH repellant can be used to protect highvalue trees 9

10 Light Root Diseases Root diseases are commonly caused by fungi Not all fungi cause root diseases Sugars formed from photosynthesis Sugars down the tree into roots Water and minerals up the tree Water and mineral uptake from soil In natural forests, even pathogenic species can play a beneficial role. Eliminates maladapted trees Creates openings for regeneration and succession Decomposes organic matter and recycles nutrients 10

11 Root Diseases: Compromise structural integrity of roots and base of tree Reduce growth Cause mortality Increase tree susceptibility to windthrow and insect damage Pathogenic fungi kill single trees or large pockets of trees many hectares in size Root disease centers are usually localized. All sizes of susceptible trees can be affected. Diffuse or scattered distribution Discrete pocket If a visual assessment indicates more than 5% occurrence, conduct a formal survey to determine its distribution and severity. Root Disease Symptoms Landscape Scale Root disease patches have trees in various stages of decline next to seemingly healthy trees. Snags Trees with no fine branches, no foliage Trees with fine branches, no foliage Trees with thinning foliage 11

12 Other forest level symptoms may include: Openings are invaded by brush and non-host species Other stand level symptoms may include: Trees with chlorotic foliage Trees with stress cone crops Trees with thinning foliage Rounded tops of crowns Other forest or site level symptoms may include: Dead trees next to stumps Other site level symptoms may include: Trees broken at the stem Basal resinosus 12

13 The Most Common Root Diseases Next steps for identification Schweinitzii root disease Armillaria root disease Obtain root disease reference materials from misc. resources (see handout) Look around at stumps and/or fallen trees Excavate major root and base of tree Laminated root rot Phytophthora root diseases Annosus root disease Excavating tree roots and looking for root disease fungi Above ground Below ground Schweinitzii root disease Phaeolus schweinitzii Velvet top fungus Old Douglas-fir & Sitka spruce, most common hosts Armillaria root disease 13

14 White mycelial fans Basal resinosus Rhizomorphs Laminated Root Rot Fungus: Phellinus sulphurascens (Phellinus weirii) Host: most commonly Douglas-fir Landscape level symptoms: Forest unit with laminated root rot. Notice dead trees in overstory. Understory development of resistant or immune species. Western red cedar Bigleaf maple Tree host susceptibility to laminated root rot: Highly susceptible: Douglas-fir Grand fir Mountain hemlock Intermediately susceptible: Western hemlock Western larch Tolerant: Lodgepole pine Western white pine Resistant: Ponderosa pine Western redcedar Immune: All hardwoods are immune Alder Bigleaf maple Laminated root rot affected areas will likely have some downed trees present. Few to no roots present. No fine roots Delamination decay pattern in remaining roots Ecotrophic mycelium Setal hyphae, red whiskers 14

15 Laminated Root Rot Signs Laminated Root Rot Signs Setal hyphae, red whiskers Ectotrophic mycelium Hollow, decayed stumps Hollow stumps Staining in stumps Fungus spreads primarily through and along roots. Annosus Root Disease Fungi: Heterobasidion occidentale Heterobasidion parviporum (Heterobasidion annosum) Hosts: Coniferous True firs Douglas-fir Western hemlock Sitka spruce Western red cedar Hardwoods Bigleaf maple Alder Characteristics of Fungus Fruiting bodies Bracket-type fungus Dark upper surface with white to cream margin Porous lower surface Irregular pores 15

16 Heterobasidion Infection Fruiting body spores Distributed by wind Cause new infections on freshly cut stumps Stump staining White decay with black flecks Hollow stumps General management recommendations for root disease Right tree in the right place Avoid damaging roots or stem of tree: - soil compaction - construction damage - landscaping equipment damage - severing roots Root disease management options Learn to recognize the disease Survey- where is it? Keep records on it s location Maintaining high tree vigor Replant non-susceptible species Alternative species: plant or encourage least susceptible species Match seed zone of stock to site Expect some mortality unless planting completely resistant or immune species Plant right tree in the right place Root Rot management options in a forestry setting Cut buffer around root-rot pocket Stump removal or push-over logging Apply Borax based stump treatment Do nothing 16

17 Dead and dying trees Asymptomatic trees may or may not be infected Defoliators of Deciduous Trees Defoliators and Needle Casts Forest tent caterpillar defoliation of red alder, July 2009 Same stand, October 2009 Photos: Mike Johnson, WADNR Native Cyclical Tent caterpillars Foliar damage: Disease or something else? Forest tent caterpillar. Photo: Mike Johnson, WADNR 17

18 Needle Casts Look close. What are the clues? Dothistroma Lophodermella Lophodermium Dothistroma Swiss Needle Cast Native foliar disease Host: Douglas-fir Chlorosis (yellowing) and premature casting of older needles Starts in lower branches and works its way up Lophodermium Lophodermella Severely infected trees may have only current year needles Most visible in young plantations (tree farms, etc.) Swiss Needle Cast Phaeocryptopus gäumannii Pseudothecia (fruiting bodies) erupting from stomates of Douglas-fir needles 18

19 Keithia Blight Fungus: Didymascella thujina Host: western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and cultivars Management strategies for foliar diseases Fungicides can buy protection on a yearly application basis product and timing depend on pathogen (lifecycle, weather conditions) Prune or thin to keep airflow at a maximum if foliar issues occurring If pruning, prune in late fall or winter to avoid other disease and insect issues Right tree in right place avoid planting offsite species (offsite seed source or offsite species in wet or drainage areas) Cedar Flagging Western red cedars Usually visible in late summer and fall Fall Yellowing Older needle drop 19

20 Red Belt/Parch Blight Needles damaged uniform distance on tip. No fruiting bodies. Position that is exposed to dry or cold winds. Drought Many species affected, but some more susceptible than others Injury from the topdown and outside-in Needles and softest tissue appear shrunken Roots dry but healthy looking 20

21 Sometimes it s not so simple. 21

22 Phytophthora s as root diseases Exotic pests are bad Dutch elm disease White pine blister rust Host: Port Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) Fungus: Phytophthora lateralis Port Orford Cedar root disease (photo from Britannica web) Fungus: Cronartium ribicola J. C. Fisch. Division: Basidiomycota Non-native Ribes Castilleja * Aecial host Aecial Host, 5 needle Pinus: Bristlecone pine (P. aristata) Eastern white pine (P. strobus) Foxtail pine (P. balfouriana) Great basin mountain bristlecone pine (P. longaeva) Limber pine (P. flexilis) Southwestern white pine (P. strobiformis) Sugar pine (P. lambertiana) Western white pine (P. monticola) Whitebark pine (P. albicaulis) Pedicularis Western White Pine (Pinus monticola Dougl.) 5-needle pine - foliage bluish green with whitish tinge - 5 to 10 cm long Seed cones - cylindrical - 10 to 25 cm long 22

23 Programs evaluating natural genetic resistance and developing resistant seed: USDA Forest Service Pacific NW Region - Dorena Genetic Resource Center - began 1960 s Short-term artificial inoculation trials Western white pine, WPBR, field trials in western Washington: Established in winter 2006/2007 (~ 5 yrs old) 6 sites ~ 3 acres in size Multi-site field trials trees at each site Origin of seedlots: Washington - Gifford Pinchot NF - Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie NF - Olympic NF - Wenatchee NF - Colville NF Oregon - Mt. Hood NF - Umpqua NF - Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs British Columbia Idaho - Bingham seed orchard The parent trees for the seedlots originated from wide geographic sources, including the Gifford Pinchot, Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie Olympic, Wenatchee, and Colville National Forests in WA; the Mt. Hood and Umpqua National Forests in OR; the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (OR); British Columbia; and Idaho (a F 2 orchard lot from Bingham seed orchard). The seedlots planted include some with major gene resistance (from Cr2 gene), some with partial resistance, and a susceptible control. Vigor - Alive and vigorous - Alive and sickly - Recently dead Number of bole infections Total number of cankers - Normal - Partial bark reaction - Bark reaction White pine blister rust management options Pruning Planting genetically enhanced seedlings 23

24 Tree diseases may be working in concert with other disturbance agents. Factors influencing Forest Health 1) Forest Ecosystem Processes 2) Tree and forest resiliency to insects and diseases 3) Landowner objectives General Tree Disease Management Recommenda Conclusions -Right tree in the right site -water -sunlight -growing space -Generally greater stress on trees moving forward - consider species -more water needed -less water available -Develop vegetation management plants for moving forward -Individual trees -Urban forests -Green belts Lot s of biotic and abiotic tree damaging agents Know the common ones and know where to report the unusual -Get help with identification if unsure -Get help with agent specific management options Overall tree stress is likely to increase with warmer, drier conditions -Likely increase in root disease damage Expect the unexpected moving forward Please feel free to contact me with questions. Amy Ramsey Phone: amy.ramsey@dnr.wa.gov 24