Emerald Ash Borer Research Paper

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Pages: 3

Ash trees are currently in danger and the whole population of this type of tree is being threatened with being wiped out. The threat comes from the Emerald Ash Borer which is an insect that was accidentally introduced into the country. This insect poses a threat that is equal or even greater to the danger posed by other pests and diseases that has affected trees in the past.

Accidental Introduction- As mentioned, the introduction of this species of insect is accidental and it is estimated that it happened sometime in the 1990s. Its presence was actually left undetected for over a decade until 2002, when it was finally discovered by experts. By then it has spread into more than a dozen states already and even to some parts of Canada.

Damage- It is estimated that the Emerald Ash Borer has already killed more than 50 million ash trees in North
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This insect is actually targeting all species under the North American Fraxinus genus. Because all ash trees in North America are threatened, though the black and green ash trees seem to be preferred.

The white ash variety can also be killed easily by the borer but they are only attacked after the first two types are already killed or if there are no green or black ash varieties present. The blue ash variety can form a resistance to the borer by coming up with thick tissues, but in the long run this resistance method cannot protect the tree and it is killed eventually.

The Eleven Year Cycle- Experts have seen a pattern in the way that the Emerald Ash Borer can infest an area. It follows a cycle that is estimated to last for eleven years starting from the time that it is introduced into the area. In the years following that, the population of the insect can grow at an exponential rate which could wipe out the Emerald Ash Borer in a significant part of the