Western blackheaded budworms chowed on hemlock all summer, now the moths are active and looking to lay their eggs on hemlock needles. Numerous moths were spotted on John Muir trail in Juneau this week but nowhere near as abundant as reported in 1953!
Fungi break down dead material, facilitate nutrient uptake & help trees communicate via vast mycorrhizal networks. Alaska Forest Health tracks fungal plant pathogens & their impacts. Learn more at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r10/forest-grasslandhealth
Interested in learning why the hemlock in Southeast Alaska look so red and thin? Tune in to hear Dr. Elizabeth Graham’s lecture on western blackheaded budworm: a tiny moth that orchestrates change in an old growth forest. Free registration here: https://uas.alaska.edu/eganlecture/
Western blackheaded budworm: a tiny moth that orchestrates change in an old growth forest
Dr. Elizabeth Graham, Entomologist, USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection
Date: Friday, October 1, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Western blackheaded budworms are a natural part of the forests in Southeast Alaska. Typically their populations are low and damage is negligible, but every 30 to 40 years their numbers build up and they become the most significant disturbance agent in the forest. An outbreak is currently underway with damage visible in most communities throughout Southeast Alaska. A look back at previous outbreaks and the impacts will be reviewed as well as the status of the current outbreak.
