Presenters: Dr. Fred Hain & Dr. Steve Cook
Forest Service staff have noted widespread and rapid subalpine fir mortality across forests in western ID & UT. The non-native, invasive balsam woolly adelgid (BWA), Adelges piceae Ratzburg, was confirmed as the primary insect responsible for large areas of subalpine fir mortality in Utah on September 6, 2017. This webinar will provide background on the current status of the true fir host type in Utah and beyond. Webinar content will explain biology, ecology and movement of BWA and how this insect kills trees. We will also discuss practical skills for field identification and current management options. Drawing on our current collaborative efforts, the webinar will close with a question answer session hosted by several entomologists.
Dr. Cook is a professor of entomology at the University of Idaho whose research examines insect-tree interactions and insect management in forest systems. He is also interested in the influence of climate on insect population and community dynamics. Dr. Hain is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and is associate member in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources faculty. He is a national expert on host/insect interactions of the BWA in natural stands and plantations of Fraser fir to select for host resistance.
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