next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-119--766761907 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Rick, On 24-Jun-09, at 9:17 PM, Rick Ballard wrote: > I was not aware, and do not believe, that the brown spruce longhorn > beetle beetle had destroyed thousands of trees in Point Pleasant > Park, as noted in this CBC News article about an invasive plant > > "Park officials have been coping with an infestation of the brown > spruce longhorn beetle since 1999 that has destroyed thousands of > trees in the park." Right you are! If there is one thing I've learned over the years working on various environmental issues is that once errors embed themselves in the media, it's next to impossible to dislodge them. :-> The CBC News wrote, "Park officials have been coping with an infestation of the brown spruce longhorn beetle since 1999 that has destroyed thousands of trees in the park. Canadian Forest Service scientists first identified the beetle in 1999 in Point Pleasant Park. It has since been discovered in six counties in central Nova Scotia." Examining this statement a little more closely: 1) The brown spruce longhorn beetle (BSLB) was first detected in Point Pleasant Park (PPP) in 1990, not 1999, in a study done by Stephanie Robertson on the bark beetles in the Park. It is, however, possible that the beetles have been present in the Park for much longer. In 1878, 1894, and 1935-37 there were extensive plantings of conifers from Europe. These plantings may have been the origin of the BSLB in PPP. 2) Trees in Point Pleasant Park were in poor health for a variety of other reasons (water stress, poor forest management, salting of Park trails, etc.). BSLBs, and many other native beetles, began feeding on these dying trees, like they do in any other forest situation. The beetles have not destroyed the trees. 3) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency cut circa 3,000 spruce trees in Point Pleasant Park in 2001. Since that time the BSLB has been eradicated from the Park and officials are not coping with any "infestation" there. The beetles are no longer present and have not been for several years. Is it that hard to get this right after a decade of discussion of this topic? Those interested can find further information at: http://www.shunpiking.com/ol0405/0405-AC-CM-pointpleas.htm http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2004f/zt00781.pdf Best wishes! Chris Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada Coleoptera http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca --Apple-Mail-119--766761907 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi = Rick,<div><br></div><div><div><div>On 24-Jun-09, at 9:17 PM, Rick = Ballard wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite">I was not aware, and do not believe, that the brown = spruce longhorn beetle beetle had destroyed thousands of trees in Point = Pleasant Park, as noted in this <a = href=3D"http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/06/24/invasive-pla= nt.html">CBC News article</a> about an invasive plant <br> <br>"Park = officials have been coping with an infestation of the brown spruce = longhorn beetle since 1999 <i><b>that has destroyed thousands of trees = in the park."<br = clear=3D"all"></b></i></blockquote></div><br></div><div>Right you = are! If there is one thing I've learned over the years working on = various environmental issues is that once errors embed themselves in the media, it's next to impossible = to dislodge them. :-> </div><div><br></div><div>The CBC News wrote, = "Park officials have been coping with an infestation of the brown spruce longhorn beetle since = 1999 that has destroyed thousands of trees in the park. Canadian Forest Service scientists first identified the beetle in 1999 in Point Pleasant Park. = It has since been discovered in six counties in central Nova = Scotia."</div><div><br></div><div>Examining this statement a little more = closely:</div><div><br></div><div><div align=3D"">1) The brown spruce = longhorn beetle (BSLB) was first detected in Point Pleasant Park (PPP) in 1990, not 1999, in a study done = by Stephanie Robertson on the bark beetles in the Park. It is, however, = possible that the beetles have been present in the Park for much longer. In 1878, 1894, = and 1935-37 there were extensive plantings of conifers from Europe. These plantings may have been the origin of the BSLB in PPP.</div> <div = align=3D""> </div> <div align=3D"">2) Trees in Point Pleasant Park = were in poor health for a variety of other reasons (water stress, poor forest management, = salting of Park trails, etc.). BSLBs, and many other native beetles, began = feeding on these dying trees, like they do in any other forest situation. The = beetles have not destroyed the trees.</div> <div align=3D""> </div> <div align=3D"">3) The = Canadian Food Inspection Agency cut circa 3,000 spruce trees in Point = Pleasant Park in 2001. Since that time the BSLB has been eradicated from the Park and officials are not coping with any "infestation" there. The beetles are no longer present and have not been for several years.</div> <div align=3D""> </div> <div = align=3D"">Is it that hard to get this right after a decade of discussion of this topic? </div><div align=3D""><br></div><div = align=3D"">Those interested can find further information at:</div> <div = align=3D""> </div> <div align=3D""><a = href=3D"http://www.shunpiking.com/ol0405/0405-AC-CM-pointpleas.htm">http:/= /www.shunpiking.com/ol0405/0405-AC-CM-pointpleas.htm</a></div> <div = align=3D""><a = href=3D"http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2004f/zt00781.pdf">http://www.mapre= ss.com/zootaxa/2004f/zt00781.pdf</a></div> <div align=3D""> </div> = Best wishes!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><br><div = apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: = none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><div>Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada = Coleoptera</div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html= ">http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html</a></= div><div><a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><= div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></span><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-119--766761907--
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects