Shannon's Salamanders: Increasing our amphibian survey with the help of a local graduate student

We started the 2018 season by chopping wood, and lots of it. Slab wood left over from the milling process has been piling up on White Memorial’s property, and we knew exactly who could use it- Amphibians. This summer started out with hauling this wood out into the woods to increase the number of amphibian cover board grids. These grids get surveyed every year to get an idea of amphibian diversity and abundance at White Memorial. This year, it got taken to the next level.

Shannon shown here excitedly showing off a Four-Toed
Salamander she found at one of the grids

Shannon Smith, Litchfield native and Trinity College student, completed her Master’s thesis on White Memorial’s salamanders. Specifically, how Red-Backed salamanders are affected by invasive non-native earthworms. To help Shannon get data for this project, we doubled the amount of cover board grids present on the property, and aided her in field work whenever we could.

Shannon is shown here surrounded by her research
materials. 4 1-Gallons jugs of water mixed with mustard
were brought to each plot, no matter how remote

Her methods required sampling of salamanders, earthworms, leaf litter, and soil invertebrates for each of the 40 grids. Each grid took about 2 hours, a lot of grit, a good sense of direction, and tons of Tecnu to complete.  

Some of the research materials on top of a cover board.
Each grid had 25 of these cover boards that needed
to individually be flipped and analyzed for salamanders

Her research questions evolved as time went on, as is normal for research in this field; so little is known about the earthworm invasion and its implications. Because about half of the cover board grids she sampled had been present for years prior to her project, and the other half had just been dealt out only a few months prior, she had to account for the dispersal rate of these animals to the new grids.

She found that the strongest influences on salamander abundance were leaf litter quality, soil temperature, and invertebrate community diversity.

Red-Backed Salamander found in Shannon's
research

Non-native earthworms decrease the quality of the leaf litter, and also decrease diversity of soil invertebrates. This means that earthworms are indirectly having a negative impact on CT’s Red-backed salamanders.

Red-Backed Salamanders are Connecticut's most abundant amphibian. By consuming large numbers of soil invertebrates which are otherwise unavailable as food for larger animals, Red-Backed Salamanders play a key role in moving nutrients up the food web. They are eaten mainly by songbirds, but also mammals of many sizes and also larger amphibians. 
This study is showing that earthworms may be negatively affecting these amphibian's ability to play that key role in the food web. Earthworms are altering the soil environment for these important amphibians by decreasing the amount/diversity of soil invertebrates and influencing the leaf litter layers.  This could have serious ecological effects reaching far up the food web.  More research is needed to understand the role that non-native earthworms play in our soil, and how they are affecting other soil invertebrates. 

You can help limit the earthworm invasion by not dumping unused "night crawlers" or other worms in the forest but rather the trash bin.  Recognize that earthworms are having huge impacts on forest health, and try not to spread them around. 

Four-Toed Salamander, a species much less
common than the Red-Backed

Bark Beetle Survey -- 2017 Season Results

Although bark beetles are very small, they are an important group of insects in White Memorial's forests.  Examining bark beetles requires a microscope due to their small body size; average body length is approximately one millimeter.  They serve our forest ecosystem by breaking down dead wood into components that supplement the forest soils with nutrients that trees need to grow.  They are consumed by many forest songbirds such as warblers and nuthatches.  Unfortunately, they are some of the most widely introduced species throughout the world and when they arrive in forests where is nothing that can limit their populations they can change the forest quite dramatically.  We conducted a surveillance project for bark beetles during the summer of 2017 at White Memorial.  We utilized protocols developed by the University of Florida.  We've listed several of the species that we collected below.  For more information about bark beetles and how you can do this same project in your own yard or property that interests you please visit the project's website at http://backyardbarkbeetles.org/

Exotic Species

black stem borer (Xylosandrus germanus)

an Ambrosia beetle (Xyleborinus saxesenii)

An Ambrosia beetle (Anisandrus dispar)

Cyclorhipidion pelliculosum

Euwallacea validus

Native Species

Anisandrus sayi

Hypothenemus dissimilis

apple wood stainer (Monarthrum mali)

First Signs of Emerald Ash Borer Damage Observed at White Memorial

Emerald ash borer is a highly invasive insect that was introduced from Asia and was first detected at White Memorial in 2014.  White Memorial staff and volunteers utilized a variety of surveillance programs starting in 2012 including Cerceris wasp biosurveillance, double-decker purple prism traps, and encouraging USDA and UCONN to install canopy purple prism traps throughout the property.  We observed our first signs of Emerald Ash Borer damage on the property during the winter of 2016 and 2017.  The damage is caused by woodpeckers picking at the bark of ash trees exposing the lighter-colored underbark to acquire EAB larvae living under the bark.  This pattern is commonly referred to as "blonding".  Blonding is often observed in the canopy of the trees first since that is where the adults often lay their eggs and where the larvae start to feed under the bark.  We often see blonding along the southern aspect of the tree trunk which is likely the preferred location for adults to lay their eggs so that larvae develop faster on the warmer side of the tree.

White ash (Fraxinus americanus) blonding caused by woodpeckers searching
for Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) larvae.

Blonding can be observed along the entire length of the tree trunk, from canopy to ground.

Close-up view of white ash tree blonding.

Close-up view of Emerald Ash Borer exit hole (D-shaped hole) which is evidence of adults emerging from this tree.

West Nile Virus Continues Killing Bird Species Commonly Observed At White Memorial

West Nile Virus was first documented in Connecticut and North America in 1999.  The mosquito-borne disease has spread throughout the continent, meanwhile killing millions of birds as it spread.  American Crow, Common Raven, and Blue Jay were the first birds observed dying in Connecticut.  Fortunately, these populations were able to recover since then, but many other bird species have not faired as well, including Purple Finch and Tufted Titmouse.  A brief article that outlines the major findings of this paper can be found here.  

The original publication is an important examination of how emerging infectious diseases are impacting and will continue to impact many bird species.  This lesson is not a new one for us in Connecticut.  We've observed how White Nose Syndrome has severely decimated several bat species that were regarded to as common a decade ago.  We are learning about new pathogens that are spreading around the world and could have devistating impacts to very important species we conserve.    Our best course of action for the long-term conservation of our natural resources is to prevent the introduction of these pathogens and pests from entering the continent.  

Current Emerald Ash Borer Distribution in Connecticut

Emerald Ash Borer Distribution Map in Connecticut as of July 24, 2015.
By Claire Rutledge, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Emerald Ash Borer continues to spread throughout the state and is currently detected in every county, except for Windham County.  The map above shows the spread and detection rate of EAB, to date.  For more information about Emerald Ash Borer and management options please visit http://www.emeraldashborer.info/.  The best method for preventing the movement of EAB and other invasive pests and pathogens is to not move firewood, please visit http://www.dontmovefirewood.org/ for a list of invasive species that are being spread by transporting firewood long distances.  When you use firewood whether to heat your home or when camping, buy it and burn it locally!

Naomi Robert Receives First Place Scholarship for Earthworm Research Project!

Naomi Robert collecting earthworms as part of her research project.

Congratualations are well deserved to Naomi Robert for receiving a first place scholarship from UCONN's Natural Resources Conservation Academy for her research on earthworms at White Memorial!  Her poster is below:

White Memorial Posters at the Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources 2015

Monday 16 March 2015 will be the CCNR at University of Connecticut.  We will present two posters at the conference.  Click on the images above to enlarge the poster.

Earthworm Distribution at White Memorial Foundation

Earthworm presence (red points) and abscence (yellow points) at White Memorial Foundation from 2014 survey.

We randomly selected points throughout the property to survey earthworms.  Each point consisted of a total of three 0.25 square meter quadrats with mustard extraction, sampling occurred from late-July to late-September, 2014.  Earthworms are widely dispersed throughout the property.  A couple regions that are noteworthy include the Cathedrals region, which is located south of Cranberry Pond, had few earthworms while the Museum vicinity, located north of Bantam Lake, have abundant earthworm populations.  The factors that could influence the presence of earthworms need further exploration but some appear to be more important than others including soil pH, previous land use practices, and the likelihood of introduction by fisherman, illegal refuse dumping, and proximity to neighboring homes.  It is important to note that we only used one earthworm detection method and this could bias our sampling of populations with very few individuals or species that live deeply below the soil surface where mustard juice could not penetrate effectively.

Earthworm Species Inventory and Forest Cover Type Associations

A totalof the 14 earthworm species were detected during the 2014 survey at White Memorial Foundation.  We randomly selected 82 plots throughout the property and collected 993 specimens.  Juvenile or non-clitellate individuals for Megascolecidae family and certain Lumbricid genus are impossible to identify to species using external and internal characters with currently developed keys.  Some cover types were sampled more than others, nevertheless random sampling insured that the frequency distribution reflects the actual proportion of cover type at White Memorial.  The native species Eisenoides lonnbergi was found in only two cover types, oak and mixed conifer, specifically in plots located near wetlands.  The remaining species have exotic origins and were detected in many cover types.  Intially, it appears that the hardwood cover types more species of earthworms than the conifer stands.  Conifer stands tend to have lower soil pH than hardwood cover types, which could influence the species that inhabit the stands.

EMERALD ASH BORER DISTRIBUTION EXPANDING IN CONNECTICUT: CAES Press Release

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

123 HUNTINGTON STREET, P.O. BOX 1106, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06504

Putting Science to Work for Society

Protecting Agriculture, Public Health, and the Environment

Founded 1875

Phone: (203) 974-8500 Fax: (203) 974-8502

Toll Free: 1-(877) 855-2237

WWW.CT.GOV/CAES

An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dr. Kirby C. Stafford III, Ph.D Dr. Claire Rutledge, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist/State Entomologist Assistant Scientist II
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street 123 Huntington Street
P.O. Box 1106 P.O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504 New Haven, CT 06504
Phone: (203) 974-8485 Phone: (203) 974-8484

EMERALD ASH BORER DISTRIBUTION EXPANDING IN CONNECTICUT

New Haven, CT - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) announced today that the
emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) (EAB) infestation, largely centered in New Haven County, has
rapidly expanded into Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, and Middlesex Counties and has now been detected
in a total of 38 towns. The new towns where the beetle has been detected this year include: Ansonia,
Branford, Bristol, Clinton, Cromwell, Derby, Durham, Litchfield, Meriden, New Haven, North Haven,
Orange, Plainville, Rocky Hill, Seymour, Shelton, Thomaston, Trumbull, Wallingford, West Haven,
Wolcott, Woodbridge, Woodbury. The insects were previously found in Beacon Falls, Bethany, Cheshire,
Hamden, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Newtown, North Branford, Oxford, Prospect, Sherman, Southbury,
Southington, and Waterbury in 2012 or 2013. Additional detections are anticipated.

The emerald ash borer is a destructive insect and has been responsible for the death and decline of tens of
millions of ash trees from Colorado and the mid-west to New England and south to Georgia. Ash makes
up about 4% to 15% of Connecticut’s forests and represents about 2-3% of the urban trees in many
communities.

“Unfortunately, we are now seeing a lot of dead and dying ash in New Haven County and more ash trees
will die as a result of this expanding infestation” said State Entomologist Kirby C. Stafford III. When
EAB is found, municipalities and homeowners can assess their ash trees and plan for the impact of this
beetle. High value trees and lightly infested trees can be treated with systemic insecticides to protect them
against the emerald ash borer. Untreated ash trees will be lost and can die within 2-3 years once infested.
Ash trees quickly decline and become hazardous, requiring removal, depending upon their location and
risk to people and property.

“The spread of EAB within our state poses a severe and imminent threat to ash trees on both private and
public property,” said Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Rob Klee. “It
is critical for property owners to assess the condition of their ash trees and make decisions to treat trees
with appropriate chemicals to try to save them or to remove trees that pose safety risks. We also strongly
encourage property owners to utilize only licensed and insured professionals to either treat or remove their ash trees.”

Many EAB detections have been made by monitoring the ground-nesting, native wasp (Cerceris fumipennis), which hunts many wood-boring beetles, including the emerald ash borer. The wasp is an effective “biological surveillance” survey tool and does not sting people or pets according to Dr. Claire E. Rutledge, who runs the CAES survey program. In addition, purple detection traps have been set across Middlesex, Tolland, Windham, and New London counties by Thomas Worthley, University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. The surveillance programs are supported by the USDA-APHIS-PPQ.

In Connecticut, quarantine had previously been established that regulates the movement of ash logs, ash materials, ash nursery stock, and hardwood firewood from within Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven Counties to any area outside of those counties to help slow the spread of the beetle. The quarantine currently applies to only those four counties and mirrors a federal quarantine also imposed on the four counties.

With the detection of EAB in Middlesex County and rapid expansion of the EAB infestation to five of the state’s eight counties, CAES plans to remove the state internal quarantine by adding Middlesex, New London, Tolland, and Windham counties to the existing EAB quarantine. Until that time, the current state and federal EAB quarantine is still in effect. A public hearing will be held in August at the CAES Griswold Research Center, 190 Sheldon Road, Griswold, CT 06351, on a date still to be determined.

Regulations also are in effect regulating the movement of firewood from out-of-state into Connecticut or within Connecticut. These regulations were put in place to ensure that other invasive insects, not just the emerald ash borer, are not carried into Connecticut through the shipment of firewood. These regulations are not influenced by the new EAB detections.

Detailed information about the current quarantine and the firewood regulations can be found at www.ct.gov/deep/eab or www.ct.gov/caes.

The emerald ash borer is a regulated plant pest under federal (7 CFR 301.53) and state (CT Gen. Statute Sec. 22-84-5d, e, and f) regulations. For more information about the EAB, please visit the following website: www.emeraldashborer.info. A fact sheet providing guidelines on the treatment of ash trees to protect them from EAB is also available at www.ct.gov/caes.

###

Phone: (203) 974-8500 Fax: (203) 974-8502

Toll Free: 1-(877) 855-2237

WWW.CT.GOV/CAES

An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

On the Hunt for Invasives

We've been focusing on our projects lately including the emerald ash borer traps, the snake/amphibian coverboards, and the bluebird boxes. We usually put these projects on the top of our priority list and try to get them done while the weather is good. If we get those projects done early, we usually get back out to the field to look for certain plants. Plants that shouldn't be here.

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) along the Lake trail

Invasive plants are everywhere. Connecticut has no shortage of them. When exploring the White Memorial trails, it would take someone less than 3 minutes to find a plant species that shouldn't be there. Invasive plants are damaging to ecosystems because they can crowd out the native species and have the potential to change the ecosystem.That's why we're interested in their presence. We search in areas that are likely to contain the invasives and look for good-looking specimens to take with us.

Narrowleaf Bittercrest (Cardamine impatiens) at the western entrance of the boardwalk

The eventual destination of these specimens are the University of Connecticut Biological Collections. Here, they can be cataloged and used for research purposes if needed. After we collect them in the field, the specimens are pressed between sheets of newspaper under high pressure. This is done for preservation and storage purposes.We like to get at least 3 specimens to press when doing this. Having this many specimens allows us to have options when choosing which plant we want to send out. When looking at a plant, we look to see if all aspects of the plant are well represented. This includes the roots, stem, leaves, and flowers/fruit. If it all checks out, we can cross that invasive off our list and go to the next one.

Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) at the sewer beds

Alien Invasion!

I see them every day...aliens hiding among us.  They blend in, making it difficult to pick them out, yet they strike with a fierce intensity. 

No, they're not the folks at White Memorial (contrary to popular belief), nor do they live in underwater cities on the planet of Naboo.  They look harmless, even pleasant, and many of us pass by them without giving it a second thought.

These embryophytic, photosynethetic marauders are altering our ecosystems as we have never seen before.  However, these aliens are now being exposed.

For the past few months, we have been collecting, pressing and preserving samples of invasive alien plants.  Barberry, Multiflora Rose, and Morrow's Honeysuckle have been taking over the understories of our forests since their introduction from foreign shores.  These species, however, are just the tip of the iceberg.  The State of Connecticut lists 96 species of invasive or potentially invasive plants in our area.  Some, like the Autumn Olive, are widespread and well-known.  Many others, such as the Rugosa Rose, have a limited distribution in the State. 

Morrow's Honeysuckle

Much to our surprise, we have already collected samples of 40% of the invasive species on this list.  There are at least five other species we know about on the property but haven't collected, and potentially several other invasives that we haven't yet documented on the property.  Water chestnut, for example, used to be found in Bantam Lake, but thanks to eradication efforts, we were unable to collect any samples of this invasive. 

Why are we going through the trouble of collecting all these samples?  These specimens will be sent to the University of Connecticut herbarium so other scientists can get a better picture of where these invasives are and how we can manage them.  Even though these species seem to pop up everywhere, we have surprisingly few records of invasives in Connecticut.  In fact, many of the specimens we do have were collected decades ago and do not necessarily reflect their distribution in Connecticut.

Below is a list of the invasive plant species found in Connecticut.  We have specimens of the species listed in plain font, but no specimens of those in bold.  You can also learn more about invasive species at White Memorial by visiting our Encyclopedia of Life page.

White Memorial's Guide to Invasive and Early Detection Species

We are pleased to announce the publication of White Memorial's Guide to Invasive and Early Detection Species.  White Memorial's Research Program's objectives are to inventory and monitor the species inhabiting the property.  This field guide was developed to use while identifying the invasive and early detection species that inhabit or potentially inhabit the property.  This is a field guide of species that we do not want living on the property!  This guide describes 200 species that either have been found inhabiting White Memorial or threaten to colonize the property in the future.  The Encyclopedia of Life Field Guide software platform was utilized in the publication of this document. 

EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN TWO NEW COUNTIES IN CONNECTICUT, HARTFORD AND LITCHFIELD

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 9, 2013

Email: Kirby.Stafford@ct.gov Email: Victoria.Smith@ct.gov

EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN TWO NEW COUNTIES IN CONNECTICUT, HARTFORD
AND LITCHFIELD

New Haven, CT - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) announced today that the 
emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis) has been detected in two additional Connecticut counties –
Hartford and Litchfield – in the towns of Southington and Watertown on July 29 and August 1, 2013, 
respectively. This invasive insect has now been found in four Connecticut counties and fifteen towns. The
identification of EAB in Southington and Watertown has been confirmed by the federal regulatory
officials in the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine
(USDA-APHIS-PPQ). The Watertown detection was made through the Experiment Station’s Cerceris
wasp biosurveillance program and the Southington detection was through the purple prism trap program
run by the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System.

In Connecticut, a quarantine was previously established that regulates the movement of ash logs, ash
materials, ash nursery stock, and hardwood firewood from within New Haven County to any area outside
of that county. The New Haven County quarantine mirrors a federal quarantine also imposed on New
Haven County. The Hartford and Litchfield detection, in addition to the earlier Fairfield County detection
in Sherman, CT will result in the expansion of the state and federal quarantines in Connecticut.

The emerald ash borer is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees and has been
detected in 20 states from Kansas and Michigan to New Hampshire and south to North Carolina. Ash
makes up about 4% to 15% of Connecticut’s forests and is a common urban tree.

In Connecticut, the insects were previously confirmed in Prospect, Naugatuck, Bethany, Beacon Falls,
Waterbury, Cheshire, Oxford, Middlebury, Hamden, North Branford, and Southbury, all in New Haven
County, and Sherman in Fairfield County as part of surveys conducted by CAES, the Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the U.S. Forest Service, and the University of Connecticut
Cooperative Extension via an agreement with USDA APHIS PPQ in joint efforts to detect the presence of
EAB in the state or determine the extent of the current New Haven County infestation. More recently, EAB has also been detected in Newtown, CT. EAB has also been identified in Dutchess County, New
York, Berkshire County, Massachusetts and Merrimack County, New Hampshire.

A single specimen of EAB was recovered in Watertown by a burrow of the ground-nesting, native wasp
(Cerceris fumipennis), which hunts beetles in the family Buprestidae, including the emerald ash borer.
The wasp is an efficient and effective “biosurveillance” survey tool and does not sting people or pets.
Another single specimen of EAB was detected in a purple prism trap in Southington. There are 307 purple
prism detection trapsset across the state, excluding New Haven County, by the University of Connecticut
Cooperative Extension System. The EAB surveillance program is supported by the USDA-APHIS-PPQ.
“These latest detections are largely near or adjacent to our known infestations and most are likely part of
the original New Haven infestation. Nevertheless, we are seeing more and more of our ash trees at risk.”
said State Entomologist Kirby C. Stafford III. “Not moving firewood or ash still remains one of the best
waysto help slow the spread of EAB.” A public hearing on the expansion of the existing EAB quarantine
to Fairfield, Litchfield, and Hartford Counties will be held at the Prospect Town Hall at 7PM on
Wednesday, August 28, 2013.

“It is disturbing to see the spread of EAB to two new Connecticut counties and reinforces the need to curb
its spread by preventing the movement of wood products out of affected areas,” said DEEP Commissioner
Daniel C. Esty. “We will continue to work closely with The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station,
the Department of Transportation, and other state and local agencies to limit the spread of EAB and
minimize the impact this invasive beetle will have on Connecticut’s ash trees.”

Regulations are also in effect regulating the movement of firewood from out-of-state into Connecticut
or within Connecticut, including the requirement of a permit to bring out-of-state firewood into
Connecticut. These regulations were put in place to ensure that EAB and other invasive insects are not
carried into Connecticut, or spread throughout New England, through the movement of firewood.

Detailed information about the quarantine, including its expansion, and the firewood regulations can be
found at www.ct.gov/deep/eab or www.ct.gov/caes/eab

The emerald ash borer is a regulated plant pest under federal (7 CFR 301.53) and state (CT Gen. Statute
Sec. 22-84-5d, e, and f) regulations. For more information about the EAB, please visit the following
website: www.emeraldashborer.info. A fact sheet providing guidelines on the treatment of ash trees to
protect them from EAB is also available at www.ct.gov/caes/eab.

Emerald Ash Borer -- Early Detection Grant Awarded From Seherr-Thoss Foundations

Connecticut Towns where EAB was initially detected in 2012 (circle)
and location of White Memorial (square).  

We are pleased to announce that we were awarded monies that will be used for the construction of 15 double-decker purple prism traps over the next two summer seasons (2013-14) from the Seherr-Thoss Foundations.  These traps are used to detect Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that attacks ash trees and was recently documented in 5 Connecticut towns for the first time in July 2012.  These traps differ slightly in design from the canopy traps that have been deployed throughout the state but have been recently documented to be more effective at finer scale surveillance projects.  The traps will be deployed throughout White Memorial's property and will add to the effective detection of EAB that the state employs on the property.  In previous seasons, the statewide surveillance project deployed traps throughout the property and girdled ash trees near the campground.  White Memorial has also incorporated the used of Cerceris Wasps as bio-surveillance tool at a total of 4 colonies.  To date, EAB has not been detected at White Memorial but since the state is considered colonized, we wait for the eventual colonization of EAB throughout the state.

Emerald Ash Borer Detection Efforts

Today DEEP Service Forester Larry Rousseau paid a visit to White Memorial to girdle several ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) to detect the presence of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis).

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a small, metallic green color beetle native to eastern Asia. The EAB was officially identified in the U.S. in 2002, and since has been responsible for the death of millions of ash trees. It currently is found in thirteen states and in parts of Canada. Ash trees infested with EABs are typically dead within one to three years. At this stage, the goal of USDA is not to eradicate the EAB, but to prevent additional spread throughout the entire country. Strict quarantines have been authorized to prohibit the movement of firewood out of states where EABs are known to live, as well as the transportation of firewood intrastate. 

Emerald Ash Borer
Photo by the University of Kentucky
http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/eab/EABindex.php

A technique used to indicate the presence of EABs is girdling ash trees. At White Memorial, four trees were girdled at various points around the property. Girdling is a cost-effective forestry management technique used to cut off the flow of nutrients inside an individual tree, eventually killing it. Girdling is used for this project because although EABs will occupy any Ash tree, they are most attracted to dead or dying ash trees in which to lay their eggs. When looking for the proper tree to girdle, Larry Rousseau and Lukas Hyder tried to find an intermediate size tree, with a DBH (diameter at breast height) of about 7 to 10 inches. They also wanted the ash tree to have a large canopy, reaching above most of the surrounding vegetation. Finally, it was important to locate a tree that far enough from roads and people so that if it was to fall it would not harm anyone and would remain undisturbed during the girdling process.  

Service Forester Larry Rousseau with ash tree after being girdled.

The first step when girdling a tree is to record the DBH using a measuring tape. Next, a shallow ring is cut around the circumference of the tree, which aids in the next step of shaving off the bark to the cambium layer. By the end of this stage there is an approximate 10 inch long ring of bare cambium around the tree. Tape is wrapped around the trunk to indicate that the tree is dangerous and to stay clear of it. Finally coordinates of the site are charted using a GPS. The tree will be left alone until mid-September. At that time it will be cut down, then sawed into bolts (short logs), and stripped of its bark. The logs and bark will be thoroughly analyzed to find if EAB larvae exists on the tree. If it is detected then the proper management techniques will be enacted to contain the EAB from spreading any further. Currently there is not a cure for EAB infestation, only pesticides to serve as a control measure. Therefore early detection is the obvious key factor to successfully contain the EAB.

Bipalium adventitium -- An Introduced Soil Invertebrate

Bipalium adventitium is an introduced terrestrial flatworm that inhabits soils and predates earthworms.

I observed Bipalium adventitium for the second time on the property, yesterday.  I was checking amphibian cover boards and observed two individuals in what looked as if they were copulating.  I collected the specimens and ran back to the office to confirm my identification.  My colleague Jeff Greenwood, WMCC Education Director, ran an errand on the property shortly afterwards and found another individual.  This brought us up to 3 specimens in one day (April 26, 2012) and we weren't even focusing a search for them!

I am not an invertebrate zoologist, so I was quite surprised to learn about this animal last year.  Nicki Hall and I were checking snake cover boards for the last monitoring visit of the season (October 2011) and discovered what looked like a brown "leech".  We didn't think much of it at the time, except that it was on land and that it was after all of the rain we received after Hurricane Irene.  About a week later some colleagues in the state asked me if I had seen this mystery animal and in fact I had!  After a short review from the internet, I found that this organism is introduced to North America from Asia and it is a predator to other soil invertebrates, especially earthworms.  There are a few investigators trying to search for these animals in North America to document the spread.  Peter Ducey, SUNY Cortland, is examining the natural history and the ecological role of Bipalium adventitium as potential competitor to native herpetofauna that consume earthworms.

Blue-spotted x Jefferson Salamander is a state endangered species in CT
 that inhabits White Memorial and eats earthworms.

All of the earthworms that inhabit Connecticut's soils are considered introduced because our region was covered in glaciers only 15,000 years ago.  Therefore, earthworms were not able to colonize this region until humans introduced them.  Several of these species originated from other continents and are now changing our soils.  In forest habitats, these animals are consuming the leaf litter layer that blankets the forest floor so fast that the entire layer is consumed and the soil is exposed to rain, thereby causing extensive erosion.  This lowers water quality and decreases the ability of the forest to regenerate after other disturbances.  Many species of forest dwelling plants depend on the leaf layer as part of their natural history and these species are declining as result of this ecological damage.  I briefly mentioned in a previous blog post how Japanese Barberry, an invasive shrub, is also contributing to this scenario.

If introduced earthworms are doing damage to the forest leaf layer, then wouldn't another predator controlling earthworm populations be a good thing?  John Gorsuch, an undergraduate student at the University of Cincinnati, is examining the effectiveness of B. adventitium as a predator to various earthworm species.  John's preliminary observations suggest that B. adventitium can be an effective predator to some earthworm species but not all.  Amynthas agrestis is an introduced earthworm from Asia and it is one of the few dirty words among forest ecologists (please pardon the pun).  A. agrestis in one of those aforementioned earthworms that are aggressively consuming the leaf litter, but it also has several defense mechanisms to predators, B. adventitium and herpetofauna alike.  Therefore, we are potentially left with several predator species that are generalists consuming every earthworm species except for one species that is causing severe ecological damage to a critical habitat!

What can you do?

Report all of your sightings of B. adventitium to Peter Ducey.  Since these species (earthworms and flatworms) have been introduced to North America from the horticultural industry, it is best to use native species in your garden raised by local growers using local stock for their plants, soils, and amendments.  If you use worms as bait for fishing, throw any remaining worms into the garbage NOT YOUR GARDEN!  And finally, learn as much as you can about this topic (soil, earthworms, invasive species, forest ecosystems, etc.) on your own because soil is one of our vital natural resources that we all need, so take care of it.

Invasive Plant Patrol Controls Fig Buttercup (a.k.a. Lesser Celandine)

Jeff Greenwood, WMCC Education Director, brought his Invasive Plant Patrol to help with pulling and controlling Fig Buttercup (Ranunculus ficaria).  We have only detected one population of this invasive plant on the property.  Early detection of this plant increases our chances of controlling it and preventing it from becoming established throughout the property.  The Patrol used hand trowels, garden shovels, and buckets to remove small patches of Fig Buttercup by hand.  The Patrol also learned how to distinguish between other invasive species and native plants found in proximity with this invasive plant.  Faye Curran helped us with removing the plants closest to Bantam River, which are most likely to disperse to other favorable habitat for Fig Buttercup.

Hand-pulled Fig Buttercup, an invasive plant, destined for the dumpster.

Work was accomplished by Mr. Greenwood's Invasive Plant Patrol.

Hand trowels and elbow grease are the best tools to remove small patches of Fig Buttercup.

Herbarium Specimen Preparation -- Invasive Species Vouchers

Nicki Hall mounting preserved invasive plant
specimens collected on White Memorial Foundation.

The specimens and labels are mounted to the herbarium paper
by laying them into a thin layer of adhesive that is spread over a flat surface.  

Every specimen has data that needs to be digitized and stored in a database. 

We have collected specimens from several invasive plant species that inhabit White Memorial Foundation.  These specimens voucher their existence on the property.  Scientists and policy makers can use these specimens in their work when these specimens are stored at Research Herbarium in Connecticut.  This past growing season (2011) was our first year for collecting specimens and we will continue this work until every invasive plant species has a voucher specimen.  This work will help the White Memorial staff prioritize species and habitats that are affected by invasive plants.  

Japanese Barberry Control Workshop Review

Jeff Ward, Chief Forester CT Ag. Exp. Station (CAES) and
wearing white ball cap with plaid-flannel at left,
introduces the topics that will be discussed during the workshop.

Yesterday was a great day to spend some time in the woods with a few experts to learn about how to control Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) in forest ecosystems.  A total of 32 people attended the workshop, some traveling from a far distance while most were from nearby communities.  Participants included natural resource professionals, land trust stewards, students, and other concerned citizens who manage forested property that is affected by Japanese Barberry.  Japanese Barberry is an invasive exotic shrub that forms dense stands under forest canopies.  Participants observed how these dense stands encourage the density of black-legged ticks, a.k.a. deer tick, (Ixodes scapularis) that are infected with the spirochete that causes Lyme Disease (Borellia burgdorferii).  The investigators have also found that dense Japanese Barberry stands may also influence drinking water quality by the plant's ability to increase nitrification and decrease the leaf litter layer.  Nitrification is a process of adding nitrogen to the soil and a healthy leaf litter layer discourages soil erosion.  The lack of leaf litter increases erosion thereby adding more nitrogen to the water supply, this in turn encourages plankton/algal blooms and other aquatic plant outbreaks.  Japanese Barberry stands have also been associated with lower native tree regeneration, fewer herbaceous plant cover (wildflowers), and increased earthworm densities.

I'm sure most of you understand that there is a problem when anything negatively 

influences native trees and plants, but earthworms!  

What's wrong with earthworms?!  

Earthworms are not native to southern New England soils because our landscape was covered by glaciers only 15,000 years ago and these 1 mile thick ice blocks prevented earthworms from colonizing our soils.  Although earthworms might be considered a positive thing in your garden, they are not a good thing in forests.  Earthworms consume the leaf litter layer at an astonishing rate, which as you already know the lack of a healthy leaf litter layer encourages soil erosion.  This workshop was a real lesson in forest ecology!

The principle investigators of this project are Jeff Ward (CAES), Scott Williams (CAES), Thomas Worthley (UCONN Coop. Ext.), and J. P. Barskey (CAES).  They have discovered that managing Japanese Barberry is at least a two-step procedure.  First, the healthy barberry shrub needs to be treated with herbicide, prescribed burning, propane torch, or is cut down with a mechanical method.  After the plant sends up new shoots the following growing season, a second treatment is required by using a propane torch or herbicide.  Safety equipment and considerations, costs of equipment, materials, and labor were also discussed.  Further evidence was provided demonstrating that infected tick density decreases after these treatments are applied.  As well as, evidence that showed how Japanese Barberry responded if the second treatment was not applied, it returns with gusto!

In the following images you can see the various methods that were demonstrated by Mike Short (CAES Technician) during this workshop, but also notice that the orange-red hue in the forest understory, all of this is Japanese Barberry!

Walk behind self propelled brush mower.

Brush Saw

Star brush blade on a brush saw.

Yellow heart wood of a mulched Japanese Barberry shrub.

Jeff Ward demonstrates the use of a propane torch burning Japanese Barberry clumps to kill buds.