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Non-native invasive species are seriously affecting forest resources in the Northeastern United States and will alter the landscape and disrupt critical ecosystem functions.
There are numerous research studies attempting to understand and control these pests. At present, though, it is a race against time. Will controls be found before the landscape is irreparably altered? We don't know. What we all can do, however, is to heed the warnings against moving wood. The natural progression of insects is relatively slow as long as we don't give them a ride. This is the reason for the ban on moving firewood.
Do not bring firewood from home to the Allegheny National Forest. Do not unwittingly spread the emerald ash borer, sirex wood wasp, hemlock woolly adelgid or other firewood borne invasive species. Possession of firewood from outside the area of the Allegheny National Forest is prohibited. Firewood is available at or near camping facilities.
Click on a heading below to find out more about Non-Native Invasive Species that impact the Allegheny:
Asian Long-Horned Beetle
In the United States the beetle prefers maple species (Acer spp.), including boxelder, Norway, red, silver, and sugar maples. Other preferred hosts are birches, Ohio buckeye, elms, horsechestnut, and willows. Occasional to rare hosts include ashes, European mountain ash, London planetree, mimosa, and poplars. A complete list of host trees in the United States has not been determined.
If you see signs or symptoms of infestation, report it immediately by calling 1-866-702-9938 or ( html ) report online.
Emerald Ash Borer
The Emerald Ash Borer is rapidly expanding its range and is killing ash trees by the millions. This valuable hardwood tree is prized for baseball bats and tool handles and provides critical ecosystem functions in riparian areas.
If you see signs or symptoms of infestation, report it immediately by calling (866) 253-7189.
Gypsy Moth
Oaks are the preferred host species for feeding caterpillars, but apple, sweetgum, basswood, gray and white birch, poplar, willow and many others serve as hosts. Gypsy moths avoid ash, yellow -poplar, sycamore, black walnut, catalpa, locust, American holly, and shrubs such as mountain laurel, rhododendron and arborvitae. Older larvae will also feed on a number of conifers such as hemlock, pines, spruces and southern white cedar.
Native to Asia, the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) is a small, aphidlike insect that threatens the health and sustainability of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) in the Eastern United States. Hemlock woolly adelgid was fi rst reported in the Eastern United States in 1951 near Richmond, Virginia. By 2005, it was established in portions of 16 States from Maine to Georgia, where infestations covered about half of the range of hemlock. Areas of extensive tree mortality and decline are found throughout the infested region, but the impact has been most severe in some areas of Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.
The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest, primarily known to affect tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). It has been detected on many host plants, including apples, plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, almonds, and pine. It also feeds on oak, walnut, poplar, and grapes. The insect will change hosts as it goes through its developmental stages. Nymphs feed on a wide range of plant species, while adults prefer to feed and lay eggs on tree of heaven (A. altissima). 1 If allowed to spread in the United States, this pest could seriously harm the country’s grape, orchard, and logging industries.
If you see signs or symptoms of infestation, report it immediately by calling 1-866-253-7189 or email badbug@pa.gov.
Diseases
Click on a heading below to find out more about Non-Native Invasive Dieaseses that impact the Allegheny:
Sudden Oak Death
A phenomenon known as Sudden Oak Death was first reported in 1995 in central coastal California. Since then, tens of thousands of tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus), coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), and California black On these hosts, the fungus causes a bleeding canker on the stem. The pathogen also infects Rhododendron spp., huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), bay laurel (Umbellularia californica), madrone (Arbutus menziesii), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita), and California buckeye (Aesculus californica). On these hosts the fungus causes leaf spot and twig dieback.
