Forest Health Forest Health MonitoringMonitoring

Aerial surveyAerial survey

• Annual ‘first cut’ at detecting and Annual ‘first cut’ at detecting and assessing forest health disturbancesassessing forest health disturbances

• 15,545,310 acres surveyed in 201115,545,310 acres surveyed in 2011– State, federal and private lands flownState, federal and private lands flown

• Nearly 75 hours of flight timeNearly 75 hours of flight time• Transect-based survey system usedTransect-based survey system used

– 4 to 6-mile wide transects4 to 6-mile wide transects– 2500 to 5000 ft. altitude2500 to 5000 ft. altitude– Digital Aerial Sketchmapping System (DASM)Digital Aerial Sketchmapping System (DASM)

DASMDASM

• Tablet PCTablet PC• Customized GIS Customized GIS

software software • GPS-linkedGPS-linked• High-resolution High-resolution

satellite imagerysatellite imagery• Screen digitizingScreen digitizing

Aerial Survey Flight Lines - 2011

Aerial SurveyResults - 2011

Aerial surveyAerial survey

• How the information is usedHow the information is used– Annual reports to USFSAnnual reports to USFS– Outreach (e.g. Forest Health Highlights)Outreach (e.g. Forest Health Highlights)– Prioritizing MDNR management Prioritizing MDNR management

activitiesactivities• Aids with rapid response to potentially Aids with rapid response to potentially

damaging agentsdamaging agents• E.g. Compartment inventory pre-reviewsE.g. Compartment inventory pre-reviews

MDNR forest compartments (current entry year in blue)

EAB outliers with 5-mile buffer

Gypsy moth defoliation

Forest tent caterpillar defoliation

Traverse CityTraverse CityManagement UnitManagement Unit

National Insect & National Insect & Disease Risk Map Disease Risk Map ProjectProject

• Risk of mortality from major forest Risk of mortality from major forest insect & disease agents insect & disease agents – 25% or greater loss of standing live 25% or greater loss of standing live

volume of trees over 1” DBH over the volume of trees over 1” DBH over the next 15 yearsnext 15 years

• Forest health specialists provide Forest health specialists provide biological inputbiological input

• GIS specialists run models and GIS specialists run models and provide output for reviewprovide output for review

National Insect & National Insect & Disease Risk Map Disease Risk Map ProjectProject

Constructing the mapConstructing the map• 180 Models employed180 Models employed• 46 I&D agents represented46 I&D agents represented• Over 100 tree species includedOver 100 tree species included

Jack pine budworm: Determining riskJack pine budworm: Determining risk

National Insect & National Insect & Disease Risk Map Disease Risk Map ProjectProject

Early Detection SurveysEarly Detection Surveys

• Asian longhorned beetleAsian longhorned beetle• Hemlock woolly adelgidHemlock woolly adelgid• Thousand Cankers DiseaseThousand Cankers Disease

Asian longhorned Asian longhorned beetlebeetle

• 16 PRD Surveyors16 PRD Surveyors– Trained by MDNRTrained by MDNR– Staged infestationsStaged infestations– Spring field trip to Spring field trip to

Clermont County, OHClermont County, OH

• 35 State Parks35 State Parks– 2 visits2 visits

• Leaf-onLeaf-on• Leaf-offLeaf-off

• Ground surveysGround surveys– BinocularsBinoculars– Risk-based Risk-based

approachapproach• Parks stratified by:Parks stratified by:

– Host speciesHost species– Campsite Campsite

proximityproximity

• High-risk zip codesHigh-risk zip codes• Tree declineTree decline

Hemlock woolly adelgidHemlock woolly adelgid

• Natural stands of Natural stands of hemlockhemlock– Proximity to 2010 Proximity to 2010

findsfinds• Emmet CountyEmmet County• Ottawa CountyOttawa County

– HWA Hazard ZonesHWA Hazard Zones

• Elongate hemlock Elongate hemlock scalescale

Elongate hemlock scaleElongate hemlock scale

• Armored scale Armored scale introduced to U.S. in introduced to U.S. in early 1900’searly 1900’s

• Both HWA and EHS Both HWA and EHS contribute to early contribute to early stages of hemlock stages of hemlock declinedecline

• Advanced stages of Advanced stages of decline correlated with decline correlated with EHS but not HWA EHS but not HWA (where both occur)(where both occur)

• Damaging outbreaks of Damaging outbreaks of EHS may be enabled by EHS may be enabled by HWA feedingHWA feeding

Thousand Cankers Thousand Cankers DiseaseDisease

Thousand Cankers Thousand Cankers DiseaseDisease

Walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorous juglandis WTB larval galleries

Staining adjacent to galleries Coalescing cankers, Geosmithia sp

Thousand Cankers Thousand Cankers DiseaseDisease

• 30 walnut locations 30 walnut locations – Lower 3 tier of counties in Lower Lower 3 tier of counties in Lower

PeninsulaPeninsula• Walnut CouncilWalnut Council• Consultant forestersConsultant foresters• Urban community forestsUrban community forests• Walnut in proximity to millsWalnut in proximity to mills

– Visual surveys (decline)Visual surveys (decline)– Pheromone trappingPheromone trapping