What is it about?
This article looks at the possibility the emerald ash borer is being spread in the State of Iowa via the railway. These findings have a direct impact on how we look at the movement of pests. It is important to note, that little to no wood moves on these rail cars and that emerald ash borer is emerging and "hitching a ride" to the next host tree.
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Photo by Antoine Beauvillain on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This method of movement has significantly increased the spread of emerald ash borer. What other pests can and have been moving in a similar matter? This is an area that needs more research and modeling.
Perspectives
This has changed how we think of pest movement. This is a nontraditional spread that can move a quarantined pest across the country in days. It is time to look at these new pest corridors and study this model and learn what controls can be put in place to prevent future pests from spreading.
Tivon Feeley
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Rail transport as a vector of emerald ash borer, Agricultural and Forest Entomology, November 2019, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/afe.12360.
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