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AUTHORS: Tyler Woollard, Kevin Holcomb - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
ABSTRACT: Over 360 acres of maritime forest on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR) have been lost in the past three years to an epidemic southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis var. Zimmermann, SPB) outbreak. All forest compartments on the refuge have been affected, the worst of which experiencing approximately a 85% mortality rate in Loblolly pines. To track SPB activity a surveying protocol was developed consisting of aerial image analysis and ground-level evaluation. Trees with SPB activity are monitored and, with funding from a SPB suppression grant from the US Forest Service, removed or chipped on site to suppress SPB activity. CNWR plans to manage their forests more proactively in the future by thinning stands to decrease intraspecific competition, manage for favorable species composition and maintain proper pine density. The forest damage on CNWR pales in comparison to that seen in larger forests across the Southeast. However, the SPB is no longer a forest threat exclusive to the southeastern US. Mild winters and a warming climate have allowed the SPB to expand its range north, having recently been found as far north as Massachusetts. The SPB outbreak on CNWR should serve as a cautionary tale for those managing northeastern pine forests. Adopting a proactive approach to SPB suppression through pine forest management can significantly reduce losses associated with SPB infestations and is ultimately more effective (cost and otherwise) than reactive SPB suppression strategies. Such strategies should be considered for use in the management of pine forests in the northeastern US.
