Pests threaten Ithaca's wooded areas and gorges

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Pests threaten ecosystems in Ithaca's wooded areas and gorges
They’re smaller than a grain of sand, deadly to their hosts and infiltrating Ithaca’s forests. Woolly adelgids, aphid-like insects, have invaded Ithaca’s hemlock trees, posing a threat to the area’s ecosystems.

Woolly adelgids have so far been found in 21 sites in the Finger Lakes region and the southern Appalachian Mountains with a nearly 100 percent mortality rate. Though only spotted in Ithaca’s forests last summer, woolly adelgids were introduced into the United States from Japan in the early 1950s.

Mark Whitmore, a entomologist in natural resources at Cornell University, said the adelgids have spread rapidly since the 1980s. While the adelgids have not killed any hemlock trees in the area this year, many are worried they may.

“The adelgids are sensitive to cold, so they move slower and take longer to kill the trees up here,” Whitmore said. “The question is whether they will kill them, and based on experience in the South, you betcha they will.”

The insects only target hemlock trees, which has an impact on the wider forest ecosystem.

According to Whitmore, hemlocks are a “keystone species” that are important to the area ecologically and recreationally.

“It’s one of the few conifers in the region,” he said. “They regulate stream temperatures, which is important for native brook trout. They’re also important in providing shade for wildlife in summer and cover in winter to migrating birds.”

Todd Bittner, director of Cornell’s natural areas, said hemlock trees are also important for flora as well as animal life.

“The dense shade and cooler temperatures they provide makes a great habitat for several species of rare plants,” he said. “They also hold the soil in place and prevent erosion, which can impair water quality. They make part of the signature landscape enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts, they make our gorges gorgeous.”

Joe Buttafuoco, crew leader for Cornell’s natural areas, said the adelgids also posed safety concerns for people.

“Areas where they have been found like Fall Creek and Cascadilla Gorge have trails, so infected hemlocks could fall over and pose a threat to hikers,” Buttafuoco said.

The adelgids have appeared at sites at Seneca and Cayuga lakes, and were spotted at Cascadilla Gorge by Cornell staff in February. Bittner said the sites might have been infected for a long time before anyone noticed.
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cbobcat49
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We were talking with some researchers testing hemlocks for these things down at Ricketts Glen in PA when we were there last summer. They're gradually moving north I guess.
What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. ~Henry David Thoreau
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