Browsing by Subject "Emerald ash borer"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Beyond the message: Examining how engaging message mediums impact visitor displacement in emerald ash borer-treated woodlands
    (2022-10) Rannow, Brett A.
    A variety of factors, including aesthetics, can significantly influence a recreator’s decision to revisit or displace from a setting. Invasive species can significantly change an area’s appearance and, unless visitors are informed about and understand the change, discourage visitation (McFarlane & Watson, 2008; Müller and Job, 2009; Schneider et al., 2019). Moving beyond static signs, advanced communication technologies like augmented and virtual reality show promise to meaningfully engage visitors (Ahn et al., 2014; Petty & Cacioppo, 1986), increasing understanding of landscape changes and potentially retaining visitation. However, limited work addresses if and how such technologies significantly influence visitor behavior. To address this gap, four informational interventions about forest management treatments utilized in response to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) were tested. Informational interventions included photos with text, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and a control group that received no treatment information. State park visitors were randomly assigned to interventions and indicated displacement intentions following intervention exposure. Displacement intentions in response to the treated landscapes ranged from 12-26%. A Chi-Square Test compared displacement intentions across informational interventions and found more engaging technologies changed displacement intentions in only one of the four management responses assessed. Future research with other outcomes and management topics will be useful to refine the utility of AR and VR in this realm.
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    Building urban and community forestry capacity through manipulative social and physical infrastructure changes
    (2014-10) Dierich, Andrea
    Funding and staffing for urban and community forestry (U&CF) has decreased significantly over the last decade. This strain has hampered programs and affects the health of the urban forest. As our globalized market increases, invasive species become a growing threat that U&CF programs struggle with in their debilitating state. The invasive species, emerald ash borer, has the ability to cause catastrophic harm to Minnesota communities due to the high percentage of ash on public owned property. In an effort to provide assistance, and build capacity for dealing with emerald ash borer, the Emerald Ash Borer: Rapid Response project was developed. This project utilized volunteers and community gravel beds to build U&CF infrastructure to increase the ability of a community to manage not just emerald ash borer, but develop a successful and sustaining U&CF program. The intensive and direct assistance method used in the project provides new ways for states and other organizations to consider building and tracking U&CF capacity in communities.
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    Cold tolerance of emerald ash borer parasitoids: Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
    (2013-05) Hanson, Anthony Arden
    Three Chinese parasitoids are currently being released in North America to control emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The degree to which cold climates may limit their potential distributions in North America is unknown, especially in areas like Minnesota that experience a wide range of winter temperatures. To assess parasitoid cold tolerance, I developed a new thermocouple design to reliably measure the temperature of small insects, such as parasitoids. I then exposed the parasitoids to temperatures from 0 to -35°C in the lab to assess their cold tolerance. NAPPFAST software was used to forecast overwintering mortality of S. agrili and T. planipennisi in North America. These forecasts of overwintering mortality will aid researchers and policy makers in deciding where the parasitoids should be released.
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    Effects of simulated emerald ash borer disturbance on carbon and nitrogen cycling in black ash wetland soils in the Great Lakes region, USA
    (2018-07) Toczydlowski, Alan
    Forested black ash (Fraxinus nigra) wetlands are an important economic, cultural, and ecological resource in the northern Great Lake States, USA, which are threatened by the non-native invasive insect, emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmmaire (EAB)). EAB-induced ash mortality can modify wetland hydrology by elevating the water table, increase air temperature, and alter understory vegetation communities following canopy dieback. These changes may alter gas fluxes and nutrient cycling in wetland soils. In our first experiment, we incubated soil cores from two black ash wetlands with either mineral or peat soils, monitored soil oxidation-reduction potential (Eh), and measured the efflux of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) at two water-level treatments (saturated or periodic drawdown) nested in three temperature treatments (10°C, 15°C, or 20°C). Findings indicate that elevated water tables in mineral soil black ash wetlands would result in greater N2O fluxes, while elevated water tables in peat soil black ash wetlands would result in greater CH4 fluxes and carbon release into the atmosphere. Increased soil temperature will lead to greater gaseous fluxes in both wetland ecosystems. In a second experiment, we sampled soils in plots that either simulated EAB disturbance or clearcut in black ash wetlands in northern Minnesota to assess effects on nitrogen mineralization rates. Soil cores installed in the treatment plots to isolate soil from the influence of vegetation were sampled over the 2017 growing season in addition to bulk soil samples collected from vegetated areas of the treatment plots. Soils in the clearcut treatment had greater ammonium accumulation than the control and girdle treatments, but when the influence of vegetation was removed, the isolated soil cores had greater rates of nitrification in the control treatment. Overall, the effect of simulated EAB was minimal and nitrogen mineralization rates were greatly constrained by ecosystem conditions compared to ideal, laboratory conditions. Our findings demonstrate potential indirect effects of EAB in black ash wetlands, with implications for ecosystem functions associated with C and N cycling.
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    Integrated emerald ash borer management: Testing a novel approach to assess stakeholder perceptions
    (2023-01-23) Schneider, Ingrid; Rannow, Brett; Russell, Matt; Gupta, Angela; Windmuller-Campione, Marcella; ingridss@umn.edu; Schneider, Ingrid
    These data describe Minnesota state park visitors' perceptions, attitudes, preferences, and behaviors pertaining to landscapes managed in response to emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis) and EAB itself. Two primary datasets are included: 1) Onsite data captured from visitors at Fort Snelling, Lake Bemidji, and Wild River state parks and 2) Data obtained from online surveys. These data aim to inform researchers and managers of the public's understanding of EAB, their acceptance of common Minnesota forest management strategies, their intended visitation behaviors in response to management surrounding EAB, and preferences for landscapes managed in response to EAB. Coding manuals, data descriptions, and participant consent forms are included. Data were released to provide transparency and data to potential stakeholders and interested parties.