The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Cornell University have announced the creation of a new biocontrol laboratory on the Cornell campus focused on protecting the state’s ecologically vital population of hemlock trees. The $1.2 million lab, partially funded by DEC with money from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund and headed by […]
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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Cornell University have announced the creation of a new biocontrol laboratory on the Cornell campus focused on protecting the state’s ecologically vital population of hemlock trees.
The $1.2 million lab, partially funded by DEC with money from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund and headed by Cornell entomologist Mark Whitmore, will be dedicated to researching and rearing biological controls to stop the spread of the invasive pest Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), according to a recent DEC news release. HWA is threatening trees in about half of New York’s 62 counties and more than 15 other states.
“Preventing the spread of invasive species is the most effective way to fight and address the damage these species can cause to our natural resources,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in the release. “DEC’s partnership and ongoing work with Cornell University researchers and the State’s investments in this new lab will help prevent the spread of this invasive pest, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, with the use of better biological controls, bolstering our ongoing efforts to protect New York’s irreplaceable hemlock forests.”
HWA, a tiny insect from East Asia first discovered in New York in 1985, attacks forest and ornamental hemlock trees. It feeds on young twigs, causing buds to die and needles to dry out and drop prematurely.
Hemlock decline and mortality usually occur within four to 10 years of HWA infestation in the insect’s northern range. Damage from the insect has led to widespread hemlock death throughout the Appalachian Mountains and the southern Catskill Mountains with “considerable ecological damage, as well as economic and aesthetic losses,” the DEC said. HWA infestations can be most noticeably seen by the small, white, woolly masses produced by the insects that are attached to the underside of the twig, near the base of the needles, it explained.
Biological control, biocontrol for short, involves using “natural enemies” to manage the population of a pest. In the case of HWA, this means using predatory insects found in areas where HWA is native. The focus of the HWA biocontrol lab will be to research methods to grow healthy colonies of predatory insects and evaluate their effectiveness in managing HWA population growth, the DEC said. The goal is to establish multiple predator species throughout New York to reduce HWA populations below the level where they cause hemlock trees to die.
“Cornell CALS is a leader in the discovery of new and improved bio-controls, such as parasites, predators and weed eaters, that naturally minimize pest damage to fruits, vegetables, and our natural resources such as hemlocks and cattails,” said Kathryn J. Boor, dean of the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Our researchers are carrying out our mission as NYS’ Land Grant University in working closely with New York State to safeguard our natural environment. The HWA lab will protect New York’s majestic hemlock trees by developing new controls for the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, which is spreading at an alarming rate. We thank the DEC and lawmakers for their support for funding that enables this important research.”
Eastern hemlock trees are among the oldest trees in New York with some reaching ages of more than 700 years. They usually occupy steep, shaded, north-facing slopes and stream banks where few other trees can grow well. The trees help maintain erosion control and water quality, and the hemlocks shade cool waters — providing “critical habitat” for many of New York’s freshwater fish, including native brook trout.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo increased funding for invasive species control to $13 million from the Environmental Protection Fund in the 2017-18 state budget, including the funding for this “important lab” and a $2 million grant program for communities and groups across New York, per the release. This funding is providing “critical support” for prevention and eradication activities through programs like the Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) that protect against threats to New York’s biodiversity, economy, and human health.
Invasive species are detrimental because of their ability to reproduce quickly, outcompete native species, and adapt to new environments, the DEC noted. Because invasive species did not evolve with the other species in their new location, they often do not have “natural predators and diseases” that would usually control their population within their native habitat. Economists estimate that invasive species cost the United States more than $120 billion in damages every year, the DEC said.
More information on HWA — including identification, control techniques, and reporting possible infestations — is available at Cornell’s New York State Hemlock Initiative (www.nyshemlockinitiative.info) or the DEC’s website (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7250.html).