parasitic nematode (Deladenus

siricidicola) against Sirex, which,

according to the Work Plan, has

become the number one pest in

Brazil’s pine plantations, and

which could have significant

negative environmental and

economic impacts if introduced

to U.S. forests. Since then, the

two countries have cooperated

on studies and actions to locate

and contain Sirex in exotic pine

plantations in Southern Brazil.

The new work plan will at once

help sustain the cooperation,

continue the work, and reduce the

risk of Sirex introduction into U.S.

forests.

Sirex can attack all pines, but

prefers loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash

(P. elliotti) pines, which are the main

plantation pines in Brazil, and which

are native to North America. Furthermore, these pine species account

for much of the wild forests and

plantation timber in the Southern

U.S. Sirex kills its pine hosts, and can

travel up to 180 kilometers per year,

naturally.

What’s being done

Brazil and the U.S. have

launched a high-tech/low-tech battle

against Sirex. It’s an on-going and

here is no ironclad guarantee

 that any prescribed treatment or

procedure will work against an

outbreak. However, one thing is

certain: For any treatment to be

effective, it has to run its course.

Along that course, progress must be

monitored and milestones must be

met.

The signing of the Work Plan For

Cooperative Work on Developing an

Integrated Pest Management

Program (IPM) for Sirex Woodwasp

(Sirex noctilio) between Brazil and the

U.S. marks such a milestone. In 1992,

USFS helped establish a biological

control program to rear and deploy a

USDA FOREST SERVICE, STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY, FOREST HEALTH PROTECTION, FOREST HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE TEAM FALL/WINTER 2000

Enterprise Team Mission: “To foster the development and use of technologies to protect and improve the health of America’s forests.”

	





What’s in the Update. . .

	
	


	

Continued, page 2

The USFS and Brazil’s Agriculture Research Agency

(EMBRAPA) use satellite technology to control the spread of

Sirex woodwasps, Brazil’s number one forest plantation pest.

“cyclical” operation, so it has no real

beginning or end, but the theory

behind the process is not complex:

• Locate the pine forests

• Survey for groups of dead trees

• Inspect individual trees for

mortality, signs of infestation,

and the presence of the

woodwasp and/or its larvae.

• If Sirex is found, assess both the

level of infestation within trees,

plus the geographic limits within

which the woodwasp is

contained.

• Implement a campaign to

introduce the biological control

agent.

• Monitor the IPM program.

Factoids:

• Sirex is Brazil’s top pine

plantation pest

• It poses significant environmental

and economic risks to the U.S.

• It can attack all pine species

• It can spread up to 180

kilometers per year

• Contact--Dennis Haugen (FHPNA) (651)649-5248

dhaugen@fs.fed.us

Sirex

Prevention and Treatment

Biology

Assessing Risks

Conferences

Douglas-fir Tussock Moth

TM Biocontrol-1 used in NW

Biology

Outbreak History

TM Biocontrol-1 Chronology

Web Corner

Digital Sketchmapping

New Technology

System Configuration

History

Who Has It?

Yun Wu Joins FHTET

Book Review

Mountain Meteorology

3

 4

 5

 3

 6

 6

 8

 9

10

11

12

13

14

13

15
2 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

	
, from page1

Locating the pine forests

Most Sirex infestations in Brazil

are confined to exotic pine

plantations. However, whereas large

plantations are generally obvious,

mapped and accessible by road,

small plantations are not. Hence, the

most efficient way to locate pine

stands is through satellite imagery.

Thirteen Landsat 7 images have

been delivered for this project. The

digital data contained on the images

is being analyzed with the use of a

GIS-based software called SPRING,

which was developed for Brazil’s

National Institute for Space Research

(INPE) by a partnership among

Brazil’s Agricultural Research

Agency (EMBRAPA), IBM-Brazil,

and the Computer Graphics

Technology Group of Brazil

(TECGRAF-PUC Rio). INPE will

provide technical support for

SPRING applications and classifying

imagery for host-type mapping. Jim

Ellenwood (FHTET, Fort Collins) and

Andy Knapp (Forest Health

Protection, Northern Region)

assisted EMBRAPA with aerial

surveys and acquired color

infrared images, and provided

technical advice and guidance

on using satellite imagery for

classifying pine plantations. The

classifications will then be used

to create maps to locate

plantations on the ground.

Detection and Monitoring

 Once pine stands are located,

ground and aerial mortality

surveys can be conducted to

detect woodwasp infestations. If Sirex

is not detected, or detected at very low

levels (<5% mortality), trap trees are

randomly deployed to detect the

presence of the woodwasps, and

sections of some trees are removed

and inspected for Sirex larvae.

 If Sirex is found, assessing the level

and extent of the damage is a matter

of broadening the search area until a

Factoids:

• Thirteen Landsat 7 satellite images

have been utilized, so far

• FHTET helps classify plantations

and analyze infrared images

• The parasitic nematode, (D.

siricidicola) attacks Sirex

• Containment is accomplished

through sanitation and salvage

• Contact--Jim Ellenwood (FHTETFort Collins) (970) 295-5842,

jellenwood@fs.fed.us

Landsat7 Satellite Image--NASA

This is one of 13 images collected in Southern Brazil. It is too small for detail, but gives

you an idea of how discerning an eye you need to identify pine plantations. you an idea of how discerning an eye you need to identify pine plantations.

boundary is detected, beyond

which Sirex is no longer detected.

Control efforts: Contain and

attack

Containment is accomplished

through sanitation and salvage, i.e.,

the removal of trees that have been

killed or infected by the woodwasp.

The most effective way to attack

Sirex is to introduce a biological

agent, the parasitic nematode (D.

siricidicola) into the infested pine

stand. The parasite attacks the Sirex

larvae and pupae in the tree, and

infects and sterilizes — but does not

kill — the females. Sirex females

mature, take flight and lay eggs.

However, the eggs do not hatch, and

can contain up to 200 nematodes,

which will penetrate the trees and

seek out other Sirex larvae.

Dennis Haugen (Forest Health

Protection, Northeastern Area) is

providing technical expertise to

Brazil on the rearing, release and

evaluation of the nematode and other

Sirex parasites.

More about Sirex,

pages 1, 3 thru 5
3 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

irex woodwasps are present in more than 250,000 hectares (>20%)

of pine plantations in southern Brazil, and

without effective prevention and

treatment, it can travel up to 180

kilometers per year, naturally. It won’t

confine itself to the plantations of Brazil;

human intervention is a must.

Prevention: evention: The highest rate of mortality

from Sirex infestation occurs in

overstocked stands. Hence, thinning is

the most effective preventive measure

against Sirex. Taller trees that dominate

the canopy are likely to be more vigorous

than others and show more

resistance to Sirex. Hence, in the

event thinning is necessary, taller

trees would be given preference

(left standing) over shorter,

damaged, forked or deformed

trees.

Treatment: eatment:The preferred methods

for control vary depending upon

the severity of the infestation and

tree mortality.

• Undetected: Continue to

monitor


	


	


It’s all about pr s all about preventing this pest fr eventing this pest from spreading beyond

Brazil and entering the U.S. Brazil and entering the U.S.

• Light (<5% tree mortality):

Inoculate trap trees

• Moderate (<10% tree

mortality): Inoculate infested

trees

• Heavy (10% - 50% tree

mortality): Salvage killed trees,

thin overstock, sanitize dead

and dying trees

• Very Heavy (>50% tree

mortality): Regeneration or

clear cutting.

Biological control is the most

effective campaign against Sirex, and the

most effective weapon in that campaign

is the nematode, D. siricidicola.

The nematode has a two-stage life

cycle: One free and one parasitic. In the

free form, the nematode burrows into the

tree in search of food, the only source

being the same fungus, Amylostereum

areolatum, on which the Sirex larvae feed.

This fungus is symbiotic to, and the

principal nutrient for, Sirex larvae. When

the nematode encounters a Sirex larva, it

quickly develops into an infectious adult

parasite and penetrates it. The nematode

Conferences

Forest Inventory and GIS: Real Challenges, Practical Solutions.

January 9-10. Portland, Oregon. Sponsored by A1 Inventory

Working Group, Society of American Foresters, and Western

Forestry and Conservation Association.

http://www.westernforestry.org/GIS.htm

The FHP Remote Sensing Workshop will be held in Salt Lake City

from February 12 - 16. Contact Jim Ellenwood (FHTET, Fort

Collins) jellenwood@fs.fed.us

Branching Out: Spatial Technology Goes Mainstream. February

19 - 22. Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, Vancouver,

British Columbia. http://www.gis2001.com

Eradication of Island Invasives: Practical Actions and Results

Achieved. Auckland, New Zealand. February 19 - 23. http://www.issg.org/index.html#Conference

2001 GITA Annual Conference XXIV. March 4 - 7. San Diego

Convention Center, San Diego, California.

http://www.gita.org/events/01xxiv_open2.html

The Forest Service GeoSpatial Conference to be held in

cooperation with the Univ. of Utah in Salt Lake City for April 16 -

20. http://fsweb.gsc.wo.fs.fed.us/fsgeospatial01/index.html

North American Insect Work Conference. May 14-18. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. http://nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/nafiwc

Factoids:

• Sirex occupies 250,000 ha. of

pine plantations in Brazil

• Highest mortality from Sirex

occurs in overstocked stands

• Parasitism levels from nematode

(D. siricidicola) can reach 99%

• Biological control is most

effective campaign against Sirex

• Contacts--Jim Ellenwood

(FHTET-Fort Collins) (970) 295-

5842, jellenwood@fs.fed.us

Dennis Haugen (FHP-NA) (651)

 649-5248 dhaugen@fs.fed.us

More about Sirex,

pages 1, 2, 4 and 5

Continued, page 5
4 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update



	

	
	

	

		

	
	



he Sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio) is an insidious world

traveler, unwitting benefactor of

international trade, and a blight on

local forest plantation business and

economies wherever it takes up

residence. It is endemic to Europe,

Asia, and North Africa, and reaches

its greatest density in the

Mediterranean. Since the turn of the

century it has stowed away in

packing material, lumber, and logs,

and colonized New Zealand,

Australia, Brazil, Argentina,

Uruguay and South Africa. It can

spread naturally up to 180 kilometers

per year.

Sirex has become the principal

pest of concern in all forests where it

has been introduced. In Brazil, tree

mortality rates as high as 60% have

occurred in some exotic pine

plantations. In pine plantations

in Australia, Sirex has caused up

to 80% tree mortality in just three

years.

Within its native range, Sirex

is a secondary invader of

weakened and stressed pines,

but it is known to attack firs and

spruces, as well. (Very rarely, it

attacks larch and Douglas-fir.)

Particularly vulnerable to Sirex

attacks are Monterey pine (Pinus

radiata), a native of California

and the principal plantation pine

in New Zealand and Australia,

loblolly (P. taeda), and

slash pine (P. elliotii),

natives to the

Southeastern U.S. and

the principal plantation

pines in Brazil.

Generally, the

woodwasp completes

one generation per year

in temperate climates

(e.g., Australia, Southern

Brazil), but can stretch

that to two years in cooler

climates (e.g., New

Zealand, Tasmania). Adults emerge

throughout the summer, with peak

emergence in early fall. Males

outnumber females between 1.5:1 and

32:1.

 Females are attracted to stressed

trees. Generally, their initial flights

are less than four kilometers. Once

suitable trees are found, the females

drill their ovipositors into the outer

sapwood, secrete both a toxic mucus

and a symbiotic fungus (Amylostereum areolatum), and lay up to

three eggs per site. Depending upon

its size, a female can lay between 20

and 500 eggs.

The toxin and fungus deliver a

one-two punch that kills the trees and

creates suitable environments for the

larvae. The fungus softens the wood,

causing it to rot. Some larvae

penetrate to the center of a tree. As

they burrow and mature, the larvae

feed on the nutrient rich fungus (A.

arealatum). The larvae mature in ten

to eleven months and pupate in the

inner bark. Adults emerge two to

three weeks after that.

Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team Update is published by the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. It is distributed

free to professionals and others interested in the health of our forests. To submit items or to have your name added to the mailing list, call or write

Update, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, USDA Forest Service, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A-Suite 331, Fort Collins, CO 80526-1891.

Phone: 970/295-5839. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information should contact the USDA

Office of Communications at 202/720-2791. Opinions expressed in Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team Update are those of the writers and do not

necessarily express USDA policy. The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the

reader. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by USDA of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be

suitable. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The USDA Forest Service prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color,

national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital and familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

ENTERPRISE TEAM UPDATE

JIM ELLENWOOD

Sirex noctilio.

Factoids:

• Sirex attacks Monterey pine

(Pinus radiata) loblolly (P.

taeda), and slash pine (P.

elliotii), all native to the U.S.

• Egg-laying females are attracted

to stressed trees.

• Female secretes fungus and

mucous that kills the tree and

creates a suitable environment

for the larvae.

• Contact--Dennis Haugen (FHPNA) (651)649-5248

dhaugen@fs.fed.us

More about Sirex,

pages 1 thru 3, 5
5 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

orest Health Protection’s andFHTET’s involvement in Brazil’s

battle to control Sirex’s spread in that

country is as much a pre-emptive

strike against a would-be attacker of

U.S. forests as it is a gesture of good

will. It’s far less costly and efficient

to control it where it is and deny it

access to U.S. forests, than to fight a

limited ground war against it after it

has landed.

Sirex is not picky about how it

travels. The larvae are found at all

depths in wood, and could be present

in all untreated lumber from infested

trees. Hence, Sirex can “ship out” first

class in high grade cut or finished

timber, economy class in medium

grade un-sawn logs, or steerage class

in low grade packing material used

for other cargo.

Its arrival in the U.S. could spell

disaster for pine forests and plantations. Here’s an assessment (Dennis

Haugen—FHP, Northeast Area) of

what could happen in the U.S. should

Sirex not be controlled and

contained in Brazil:

1) Probability of pest

establishment

a) Entry potential: High

i) Sirex life cycle is

one year or longer,

so larvae and

pupae could easily

survive the transit

inside the wood.

b) Colonization and

spread potential: High

i) If introduced, a high

probability of

colonization among

pines would be

expected within a fivemile radius of its ports

of entry.

ii) Sirex can spread at the

rate of 180 kilometers/

year, will attack any

stressed or weak pines,

regardless of species, in

its path, and can survive

in any US climate.

2) Consequences of pest establishment

a) Economic damage: High

i) Conservative projections place potential

losses between $24- and

$130-million. (Sirex

killed up to 1.75 million

trees in 1990 in

Australia; damage was

estimated at between

$1- and $4-billion.)

ii) The impacts of Sirex

infestation will be worse

in the Southeastern U.S.

than in the Western US.

iii) Minimum costs to

contain Sirex in the U.S.



	

	
	

	

		

	
	



through biological

(nematode) control once

it arrives are around

$3.50/acre in plantations, and somewhat

less in natural stands. (In

a worst case scenario,

Sirex could spread across

750-million acres of

natural forests in the

eleven Western States in

just 25 years.)

3) Environmental damage potential: High

a) The effect of Sirex on native

pine forests would be

significant.

i) Changes in stand

composition could occur

through selective

mortality.

b) Overall tree mortality could

increase through an increase

in other destructive pest

populations — bark beetles,

root rot, etc.

c) Sirex is very aggressive and

could reduce populations of

native woodwasps.

doubles in size within its larval host and

moves to the reproductive organs when

the Sirex larva pupates. The worms

sterilize, but do not kill the Sirex pupae.

Adult female woodwasps emerge, take

flight, and lay eggs. The eggs do not

hatch, but each egg can contain up to

200 nematodes.

Parasitism levels vary, but have

reached as high as 99% within stands

in which Sirex infestations levels were

less than 5% at the time the nematode

was introduced.

	

	
from page 3

Factoids:

• Sirex larvae live one year; pupae

would survive transit in woood to

U.S.

• Economic loss to U.S. could reach

$130 million if Sirex invaded.

• Environmental damage potential

is high; overall tree mortality

would increase.

• Contacts--Jim Ellenwood

(FHTET-Fort Collins) (970) 295-

5842, jellenwood@fs.fed.us

Dennis Haugen (FHP-NA)

(651)649-5248

dhaugen@fs.fed.us

More about Sirex,

pages 1 thru 4
6 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

Results show promise that this virus-based insecticide can help control the spread of DFTM.

 	  !" 

#$
%	

$&&
%'	&(

)

t has been a long haul, but 26 years

after The EPA issued the first

experimental use permit for the TM

Biocontrol-1, the insecticide has

finally seen real-world action against

Douglas-fir tussock moth (DFTM;

Orygia pseudotsugata).

What’s more, preliminary

information suggests that the

insecticide works.

Between June 15 and July 18,

2000, TM Biocontrol-1 was used

against a DFTM outbreak in the

Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman

National Forests in Washington and

Eastern Oregon. Initial analyses of

larval mortality, defoliation, and virus

presence suggest that the insecticide

interrupted the population cycle and

prevented any damage that otherwise

would have occurred next year.

(Further evaluations will be

conducted next year.)

DISCUSSION

The biological control agent The biological control agent

The USDA Forest Service has

been driving the development,

production and EPA registration

of TM-Biocontrol-1 since the

1960s. FHTET was instrumental

in completing bioassays and

developing technologies to

improve its performance and

application, and in re-registering

the insecticide in 2000.

Its active ingredient is a

natural virus (nucleo polyhedrosis virus — NPV) that is

often the primary cause of the

collapse of DFTM outbreaks

under natural conditions. The virus

is specific only to the DFTM and two

other species of tussock moths in the

West. Hence, relative to other

biological insecticides, it has fewer

potential effects on non-target moths

and butterflies.

Purpose and need

DFTM populations have been

rising east of the Cascades in Oregon

and Washington for several years and

are expected to cause heavy damage

before cycling to a stop in 2002 (see

DFTM Outbreak, page 8). An

Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) was prepared to identify an

appropriate course of action to take

against the outbreak. According to

Continued, page 7

Continued, page 8

he Douglas-fir TussockMoth (DFTM; Orygia pseudotsugata McDunnough) is a

native of fir forests from British

Columbia to Southern California, Arizona, and New

Mexico, though historically the

most extensive outbreaks have

been in the Pacific Northwest.

DFTM caterpillars (larvae) are a

major defoliator of fir forests in

western North America. In fact,

the caterpillar does all the

damage. Douglas-fir and true

firs are the moth’s preferred

%&#$
%	

$&

food source; however, they will

feed on other species when all

available fir needles have been

eaten. Large populations of

larvae can completely strip trees

of all their needles in a few

weeks.

Caterpillars emerge in the

spring from eggs and eat the

conifer’s needles, beginning with

the current year’s (new) growth

and progressing to the older

needles as the larvae mature.

More about DFTM and

TM Biocontrol-1, pages7 thru 10

Factoids:

• Relative to other biological

insecticides, TM Biocontrol-1 has

fewer potential effects on nontarget moths and butterflies.

• TM Biocontrol-1 is a natural virus

that attacks DFTM.

• Heavy damage is expected in

Oregon by 2002.

• Caterpillars do all the damage.

• Contacts--Iral Ragenovich (FHP -

R6) (503) 808-2915,

iragenovich@fs.fed.us

Dick Reardon (FHTET -

Morgantown) (304) 285-1566,

rreardon@fs.fed.us .
7 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

	 from page 6

the Record of Decision (ROD—May,

2000), TM Biocontrol-1 was selected

as the preferred biological agent to

use against the DFTM, and that its use

was necessary

 . . . to maintain the vegetative

conditions of specific Areas of

Concern where the tussock moth

defoliation would change or

jeopardize vegetative conditions

for resources, such as: aquatic

and terrestrial threatened and

endangered species habitat;

watersheds; areas for human use

and enjoyment; and areas where

the Forest Service has made

substantial investment.

Sampling and project area

The DFTM Early Warning

System (see FHTET Update, spring

1999) predicted that the 2000

outbreak would be more widespread

than earlier outbreaks. Ground

surveys were necessary to pinpoint

areas most likely to suffer heavy

damage.

DFTM cocoons were surveyed in

the fall of 1999 to predict where large

populations would occur in 2000.

Population levels were estimated, and

this information was overlaid onto GIS

maps. The findings indicated

potentially high tussock moth outbreaks

on about 80,000 acres on the Umatilla

and Wallowa-Whitman National

Forests.

There were five analysis units

established within the survey area, and

for logistics and treatment purposes,

those units were divided into smaller

spray blocks.

Application and monitoring

Units were identified for treatment

based on preliminary population

sampling; treatment would occur only

after additional spring sampling

confirmed the presence of treatable

populations of DFTM larvae. Blocks

were released for treatment when (1)

unit populations had, on average, ten or

more larvae per 1,000 in2 of foliage and

(2) 60% of the insects reached at least

the second instar.

Spraying had to occur within

three days after the blocks were

released for spraying. If this

deadline was missed, sampling

had to be done again before

spraying could be done. Spray

condition parameters included

wind speed between 1 and 8 mph,

and relative humidity more than

50%. Most spraying occurred

between 5 and 7 am, as weather

permitted.

Only National Forest lands

were involved in the project.

Helicopters sprayed TMBiocontrol-1 over 39,392 acres in

five units. (Not all of potential

outbreak areas were recommended

for treatment; in many places,

DFTM can act as a positive natural

disturbance agent by reducing

overstocking and creating stand

openings.) Notices were posted at

recreation sites and along roads,

and the public was contacted daily

within treatment areas. Dick

Reardon (FHTET-Morgantown)

helped mix the insecticide with a

specially developed carrier.

Factoids:

• The findings indicated

potentially high tussock moth

out-breaks on about 80,000

acres

• Larvae cease feeding within

several days after ingesting

 the virus, and then die several

weeks later.

• Only National Forest lands

were involved in the project.

• Contacts--Iral Ragenovich

(FHP - R6) (503) 808-2915,

ragenovich@fs.fed.us

Dick Reardon (FHTET -

Morgantown) (304) 285-1566,

rreardon@fs.fed.us

Female DFTM are flightless and have

threadlike antennae, while males have

feathery antennae

http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/fetch21/FRST308/lab5/orgyia_pseudotsugata/tussock.html

Results sampling

Larvae cease feeding within

several days after ingesting the

virus, and die several weeks later.

Defoliation levels were

assessed both before treatment and

35 days after treatment; population

samples were taken just prior to

treatment, and 28 and 35 days after

treatment. Two live larvae were

collected before treatment on one

to three plots per spray block, and

then two live larvae were collected

from each plot at seven to ten days

after treatment. The larvae were

sent by express delivery to a lab in

La Grande, OR, and reared until

they died; cause of death was then

determined. Mortality due to virus

should increase after spraying.

Details of the 2000 project (as

well as maps of the project areas)

can be viewed on a Pacific

Northwest Region website at http:/

/www.fs.fed.us/r6/nr/fid/dftmweb/

project.htm.

More about DFTM and

TM-Biocontrol-1, pages 6, 8 thru 10
8 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

# from page 6

Trees are killed from the top down,

retarding their growth and making

them susceptible to disease and

secondary infestations by insects

such as bark beetles.

Populations are cyclical, with

outbreaks occurring every seven to

13 years. Outbreaks typically occur

in mature and over-mature, multistory stands with high density of

host trees, tend to last two to four

years, and end very suddenly.

Since females do not fly, outbreaks

generally arise in place, with little

or no spread into un-infested or

previously treated areas.

At low population levels,

parasites and birds kill a large

proportion of the eggs, larvae, and

pupae. At outbreak population

levels, extensive larval mortality is

caused by a combination of

competition for food and the

naturally occurring nuclear

polyhedrosis virus (NPV). At

outbreak population levels,

damage can be minimized by

applying insecticides, including

TM-Biocontrol-1, the polyhedrosis

virus, and Bacillus thuringiensis

kursaki (B.t.k.), a bacterium-based

insecticide. TM-Biocontrol is

specific to DFTM and two other

western tussock moths, while B.t.k.

will affect caterpillars of other moths

and some butterflies.

Effects of DFTM outbreaks are

not undesirable in all circumstances.

Hence, not all outbreaks require a

response. DFTM acts primarily in

mature and over-mature stands, and

outbreaks can help reduce stand

densities, create food sources for

other organisms, and create openings

for regeneration of young trees.

#ouglas-fir tussock moth (DFTM) populations have

been rising east of the Cascades in

Oregon and Washington for several

years. According to data from the

early warning trapping system (see

FHTET Update, spring 1999), this

trend appears to be more widespread

than outbreaks in the 1980s and

1990s. During the summer of 1999,

DFTM caused light to medium

defoliation on approximately 21,000

acres of forest in the Blue Mountains

of northeastern Oregon. Heavier

defoliation, and more extensive

damage were predicted for the

summer of 2000. The current

outbreak is expected to take place

between 2000-2002,

but could last through

2004. The naturally

occurring virus and

localized starvation

probably will cause

DFTM populations to

collapse — but not

before defoliation

causes significant

damage in many

areas.

	




More about DFTM and

TM Bio control-1,

pages 6, 7, 9, 10

Two images of the

same section of road

and forest. The image

to the left was taken in

September, 1998. The

image at the bottom

was taken one year

later. The lighter trees

have been damaged by

DFTM.

Factoids: • Populations are cyclical; outbreaks occur every 7 - 13 years.

• Heavy defoliation and damage

are likely in summer, 2000.

• Contacts--Iral Ragenovich

(FHP - R6) (503) 808-2915,

iragenovich@fs.fed.us

Dick Reardon (FHTET -

Morgantown) (304) 285-

1566,rreardon@fs.fed.us John

Wenz (R5 - Stanislaus N.F.),

(209) 532-3771 ext.323,

jwenz@fs.fed.us
9 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

*&	%	+ 

#,	
	

1916. The first recorded outbreak of the Douglas-fir tussock moth

(DFTM) at Chase, British Columbia. Several major outbreaks

have occurred since then with detailed documentation

starting in mid-1940s.

1947. The nucleopolyhedro virus (NPV) of the Douglas-fir tussock

moth was first identified identified from larval collections near Troy,

OR, Colville, WA, and Orofino, ID.

1964. A new insect pathology project was established at the US Forest

Service Pacific Northwest Research Station to develop a

control method using the nucleopolyhedrosis virus control method using the nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) of

the Douglas-fir tussock moth.

1965. Simulated field trial resulted in population suppression of DFTM

with a dose rate of 50x109 polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs)

per acre. Eggs collected near Goose Lake in northern California established the inbred strain of DFTM for

standardized NPV production.

1966. Initiation of the Forest Service Joint Research & Development effort to identify the specific virus, toxicity,

small-scale propagation, formulation of spray mixtures, and conduct field-tests. The first of three successful

contracts awarded to private industry to propagate DFTM larvae and the NPV. contracts awarded to private industry to propagate DFTM larvae and the NPV.

1972. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned DDT, which was the only effective insecticide used for

the control of DFTM. A second contract was awarded to private industry to propagate the NPV.

1974. EPA issued the first Experimental Use Permit. issued the first Experimental Use Permit. This same year, money was appropriated for the Expanded

Douglas-fir Tussock Moth Research and Development Program in the ‘Forest and Rangeland Renewable

Resources Planning Act’. The third and last successful contract was awarded to private industry for NPV

propagation. All three contractors produced a total of approximately 10,000 acre doses of the NPV. This

year was also the last time the Forest Service was granted emergency authorization to use DDT.

1976. The NPV for the Douglas-fir tussock moth was registered as a microbial control agent and labeled as TM

BIOCONTROL-1 in the United States. This was the first virus registered for a forest pest.

1978. A fourth Forest Service contract was awarded for production of 50,000-acre doses of the NPV. This contract

was terminated for lack of performance (no virus produced) in 1979.

1980. The Forest Service Pacific NW Region (R-6), established the first and only large scale TM Biocontrol-1

Baculovirus Production Facility in Corvallis, OR, under the management of Dr. Donald Scott. The original

goal was to produce 50,000-acre doses of the NPV.

1986. Health Canada, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, approved the registration of TM Biocontrol-1 for use

against DFTM in Canada.

1993. The Region 6 TM Biocontrol-1 Baculovirus Production Facility was closed in June. oduction Facility was closed in June. From 1980 until closure in

1993, the facility had produced the equivalent of approximately 400,000-acre dose of the virus. The virus

was placed in monitored storage at the Forest Sciences Laboratory at Corvallis, OR.

1998. FHTET re-registered the virus under the trade name TM-Biocontrol. The updated label complied with the

revised Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (as amended in 1988). The Enterprise Team also

initiated a contract with the Canadian Forestry Service to bioassay the NPV product in storage.

2000. The Pacific NW Region (R-6) The Pacific NW Region (R-6) developed a field project and selectively applied the virus to 39,392 acres in

“Areas of Concern” in National Forests of Washington and Oregon. EPA approved an amended label in

August with the trade name TM Biocontrol-1. The revision basically updated the environmental hazard

statement and improved the information content on the label.

Contact: John Stein (FHTET - Morgantown) (304) 285-1584, jstein@fs.fed.us

University of British Columbia

Late Instar DFTM

http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/fetch21/FRST308/lab5/orgyia_pseudotsugata/tussock.html

More about DFTM and

TM Biocontrol-1, pages 6 thru 9

Late In
10 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

· http://willow.ncfes.umn.edu/pubs/fth_pub_pages/fidlpage.htm .ncfes.umn.edu/pubs/fth_pub_pages/fidlpage.htm USDA-FS. Forest Insect and

Disease Leaflets. Alphabetic and numeric listings of online FID Leaflets, fact sheets and ‘howtos’, with links to related forestry websites.

· http://www.fs.fed.us/na/morgantown/fhp/palerts/palerts.htm .fs.fed.us/na/morgantown/fhp/palerts/palerts.htm USDA-FS. Common pest alerts

in the U.S.- Master List of common pests, and related links.

· http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/i_d_news/i_d.html .fs.fed.us/foresthealth/i_d_news/i_d.html USDA-FS State and Private Forestry.

Forest Insect and Disease News Bulletins.

· http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/opmppiap .ncsu.edu/opmppiap USDA- Office of Pest Management Policy and Pesticide

Impact Assessment Program. Home Page. OPMP provides coordination to pest management

programs across several USDFA agencies, and oversees the PIAP. This site contains a pesticide

database, and list of publications.

· http://www.aphis.usda.gov/nbci/nbci.html .aphis.usda.gov/nbci/nbci.html USDA-APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service). National Biological Control Institute was established by APHIS in 1990 “as part of the

Department’s commitment to implement biological control, sustainable systems, and integrated

pest management ...to promote, facilitate, and provide leadership for biological control.” This

site provides numerous links to biological control web sites.

· http://www.scisoc.org/ppigb/ .scisoc.org/ppigb/ Hosted by the American Phytopathological Society. The website

for the Plant Pathology Internet Guidebook. It is a subject oriented Internet resource guide for

plant pathology, applied entomology, and all related fields.


 

!


his website has four sectionsincluding: Suppression Project

2000 (shown at right); Environmental

Impact Statement/Record of Decision;

and Tussock Moth Biology and

Management.

You’ll find the site easy to navigate

and packed with useful information

about DFTM.

The site has many links that will take

you to sites within the US and Canada.

There are photo galleries, charts and

tables available. Information on some

sites is in PDF format, and accessible

only with an Adobe Acrobat Reader,

which is available as freeware from

Adobe (http://www.adobe.com).

Also, there are links to other forestpest and health sites.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/nr/fid/dftmweb/

#$
%	$&&
%'	&(

&-.*		
11 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

erial sketchmapping is nearlyas awkward today as it was 80

years ago when the first recorded

aerial survey was conducted on

budworm damage in Quebec and

Ontario, Canada.

As much an art as it is a science,

the process involves one or two

sketchmappers sitting in a small,

often cramped airplane, peering out

windows at the forest below, and

recording their observations on

several, usually taped-together

USGS topographical maps.

For all that, it is the most accurate

and efficient means of monitoring

and recording forest change over

large areas.

But improvements are underway. The Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC — Salt Lake

City, UT) and the Forest Health

Technology Enterprise Team

(FHTET — Fort Collins, CO) are

beta-testing a new digital

technology, which, if early field

trials (beta tests) are any

indication, will at once:

• Elevate both the art

and science of

sketchmapping

• Improve its accuracy,

and

• Simplify the entire process.

A Global Positioning Satellite

(GPS) receiver is crucial to digital

sketchmapping. The receiver, plus

special software, allow two things to

happen, simultaneously. First, they

display on a computer monitor in the

cockpit the USGS topo map (usually

1:100,000 for contiguous states;

• Higher quality data

• Lower potential for errors

User Response and System

Refinement Refinement

By and large, the response from

field trials and demos has been

positive and enthusiastic. But it is the

intent of beta-testing to find

problems — and indeed, there are

/,	
(&

)#
!&
,,

Good-bye paper, hello touchscreens

Factoids:

• The technology is now

in beta-testing

• The response from field

trials and demos has

been positive and

enthusiastic.

• Contact--Ross Pywell

(FHTET - Fort Collins)

(970) 295-5848,

rpywell@fs.fed.us

Beth Schulz

(FHP-Region

10) uses a touchscreen to do realtime digital

sketchmapping

in Alaska.

More about Digital Sketchmapping, pages 12 thru 14

Continued, page 12

1:125,000 for Alaska) that

corresponds to the area over which

the plane is flying. Second, they plot

and track the plane’s progress across

the displayed map. Hence, the

sketchmapper is always aware of the

plane’s position, relative to what

s/he observes below. The computer

monitor is touch-sensitive. The

sketchmapper records her/his

observations directly onto the digital

map by sketching polygons on the

monitor. The data is automatically

stored in digital form.

Advantages of this digital

system include:

• Ease of use

• Quicker analysis of forest

damage

Simulation
12 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

problems with the technology.

Improvements must be made in the

following four areas before the

technology can be deployed:

• Improve user/software interface

• Reduce the amount of

equipment, cabling, and

overall weight of the system

• Improve reliability of the

hardware and software

• Enable two sketchmappers

to work on the same map on

separate monitors,

simultaneously

Problems: Problems: To begin with, the system

was designed to utilize existing

Forest Service computer and GPS

equipment, meaning IBM

ThinkPads, Windows 95, and

Trimble GPS units (see System

Configuration, below). This

configuration proved unsuitable for

the vibration-prone, confined space

of a light aircraft. The vibrations

would cause some computer lids/

screens to close, causing the

computer to shut down, and

connectors to shake loose. (Altitude

and vibration might shorten the

useful life of disk drives, too.) By its

nature, the system is memoryintensive; large files are being

updated and manipulated

continuously. The longer the system

remains up during a survey, the

slower it gets. Ultimately, it can slow

to the point where the maps on the

screen do not refresh fast enough to

keep up with the plane’s flight

progress. Sometimes, a system would

lock up altogether. Finally, as now

configured, only one sketchmapper

can use the system at a time.

Solutions: Solutions: Most of the changes can

be done fairly soon and at relatively

low cost. Charlie Schrader (RSAC/

RedCastle Resources, Inc.) and Ross

Pywell (FHTET-Fort Collins) have

been working with hardware and

software vendors and hope to

complete changes before the

beginning of the 2001 field season.

The team is investigating the

availability and/or development of a

lighter, more compact system

specifically for aircraft use. The

system will incorporate the touchscreen; a computer with a faster

processor, larger, more durable hard

drive and more memory; and a GPS

receiver into a self-contained,

upgradeable unit.

Generally, the norm for aerial

sketch-mapping is two observers to

a plane, so new software is being

developed that will allow two

mappers to work on the same map

at the same time. This will improve

communications within the aircraft;

allow each observer to monitor the

other in real-time; and improve the

quality of the data by reducing the

chances that something will be

missed or mapped twice.

Summary

Feedback from digital

sketchmapping field trials and

demonstrations has been enthusiastic

and positive. Further development

and testing of a more rugged and

reliable computer designed for

aircraft use is needed. Once

perfected, the new system will

improve the quality of the data

obtained from aerial surveys.

!&
,,$, from page 11

#evelopment of the digital sketchmapping systemwas undertaken by Ross Pywell Ross Pywell (FHTET-Fort

Collins), Charlie Schrader (RedCastle Resources, Inc./

RSAC), and J.D. Mullen and Lowell Lewis (Intecs

International/FHTET).

The main components are a laptop computer/

Windows 95; touch-screen; global positioning system

(GPS) receiver; and software, including United States

Geological Survey maps and Geolink®, (Michael Baker

Corporation, Billings, MT). Peripherals include a power

converter and distribution system, serial port adapter,

and numerous connecting cables.

The touch-screens were manufactured according to

performance requirements, while other components

were purchased as off-the-shelf units.

!*%$	


More about Digital Sketch-mapping

pages 11, 13, 14
13 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

esearch scientist Yun Wu joined the FHTET(Morgantown) staff as a pathologist on December

31, 2000.

Currently, Yun is completing her PhD in Forestry at

Michigan Technological University (MTU) and working

with the Enterprise Team in Morgantown under a

cooperative agreement with MTU. Her specialty is the

biological control of forest diseases and weeds.

She has been in Morgantown since 1995 and

previously worked with Bristol Botanics in Littleton,

Colorado, and as a biological technician with Forest

Health Protection at the Lakewood Service Center in

Denver.

Yun earned a M.S. in Forestry, with specialties in

mycorrhizae and tree relationships, at MTU, and her B.S.

in Forest Pest Management at Northeast Forestry

University in Harbin, China. She has worked on

identifying potential biological control agents for

Cylindrocladium root disease in forest nurseries and, most

recently, on identifying and using plant pathogens as

biological control agents for Mile-a-Minute (MAM) weed

(Polygonum perfoliatum L.), an invasive plant from Asia

that is spreading rapidly across the eastern U.S.

Her work on MAM has involved conducting surveys

on the plant’s natural

control agents in its

native range in

northern and northeastern China. While

on this project, she

helped coordinate U.S.

projects on Asian

Longhorned Beetle

with various Chinese

governmental agencies

and universities.

Yun will work

with Program Manager

for Biopesticides and

Biological Control Richard Reardon (FHTETMorgantown). She will assist in developing and

implementing the plant pathology component of the

overall FHTET program with specific emphasis on

identifying and evaluating the potential of plant

pathogens as biological control agents against forest pests,

including insects, diseases and weeds.

Yun’s goal is to find and implement environmentally

friendly methods to manage forest pests.

"#$#	%	



)

n 1919, Gordon Hewitt recommended using aircraft

for forest insect detection after flying over mosquitobreeding areas in parts of British Columbia. In 1920, an

open-cockpit hydroplane was used to survey a spruce

budworm infestation in parts of Quebec and Ontario.

One of the earliest attempts to survey forest insect

damage from the air was made by J.M. Miller in 1925

over the Sierra National Forest, in California, in an opencockpit airplane. In 1930, the Bureau of Entomology used

a Forest Service airplane to survey bark beetle outbreak

areas of Yellowstone National Park. In 1931, F.P. Keen,

from the Portland Forest Insect Laboratory, and C.S.

Cowan, Chief Fire Warden of the Washington State Fire

Association, conducted the first recorded aerial survey

of a forest insect outbreak in the two northwestern states

when they delineated a hemlock looper outbreak in

southwest Washington.

In 1947, an annual aerial survey program was

instituted by the Bureau of Entomology and Plant

Quarantine, USDA, cooperators from the States of

Washington and Oregon, and the Weyerhaeuser Timber

Company. The pioneers of the modern aerial survey,

when it began in Portland, Oregon, were W.J. Buckhorn,

a seasoned entomologist, and John F. Wear, a young

research forester and pilot just out of graduate school

after World War Two. Together, they flew aerial surveys

for several years and, in 1955, wrote “Organization and

Conduct of Forest Insect Aerial Surveys,” the first guide

to conducting aerial sketch-map surveys. Their report is

still relevant today, despite the subsequent development

of better maps and more powerful aircraft.

	%	%	
!$	

	&'#
(#
&	
%	#!)000 
	&1000

More about Digital Sketchmapping

pages 11, 12, 14
14 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

Northeastern Area – 2 systems – Key contacts: Bill Frament Bill Frament, Remote

Sensing Specialist, Forest Service – USDA, Durham Field

Office, 271 Mast Road, PO Box 640,

Durham, NH 03824. Tel: 603.868.7707, email:

wframent@fs.fed.us, and Rodney Whiteman, Forester,

Forest Service – USDA, Morgantown Field Office, 180

Canfield Street, Morgantown, WV 26505. Tel: 304.285.1555,

email: rwhiteman@fs.fed.us.

Region 3 – 1 system – Key contact: Bobbe Fitzgibbon, Entomologist,

Forest Service – USDA, Arizona Zone Office, 2500 S. Pine

Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Tel: 520.556.2072, email:

bfitzgibbon@fs.fed.us.

Region 5 – 1 system – Key contact: Bill Woodruff, Pathologist, Forest

Service – USDA, Northeast California Shared Service Area,

2550 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130. Tel: 530.252.6680,

email: wwoodruff@fs.fed.us.

Region 6 Region 6 – 2 systems – Key contact: Keith Sprengel Keith Sprengel, Forestry Technician, Forest Service – USDA, Westside Service Center,

16400 Champion Way, Sandy, OR 97055. Tel: 503.668.1476,

email: ksprengel@fs.fed.us.

Region 8 – 4 systems, 2 at NF in Alabama, 2 at Pineville Field Office — Key contact: Forrest Oliveria, Entomologist, Forest Service – USDA, Pineville Field Office, 2500 Shreveport Highway,

Pineville, LA 71360. Tel: 318.473.7294, email:

foliveria@fs.fed.us .

Region 10 – 2 systems. Key contacts: Dustin Wittwer, Biological

Technician, Forest Service – USDA, Forestry Sciences

Laboratory, 2770 Sherwood Lane, Suite 2A, Juneau, AK

99801. Tel: 907.586.7848, email: dwittwer@fs.fed.us, and

Kathy Matthews, Forest Service – USDA, 3301 “C” Street,

Suite 522, Anchorage, AK 99503-3956. Tel: 907.271.2574,

email: kmatthews03@fs.fed.us.

Oregon Department of Forestry – 2 systems – Key contact: Mike

McWilliams illiams — Oregon Department of Forestry, Insect and

Disease Branch, 2600 State Street, Salem, OR 97310. Tel:

503.945.7395, email: mike.g.mcwilliams@state.or.us

*. David Whiteman’s MountainMeteorology: Fundamentals and

Applications (Oxford University Press,

ISBN 0-19-513271-8) offers an

introduction to the basic principles

and concepts of mountain weather,

and explores their applications to

natural resource management.

Primarily descriptive and nonmathematical, it aims to heighten

awareness and understanding of

weather systems, patterns, and events

in mountainous areas by

emphasizing observable indicators of

atmospheric processes.

The book is a comprehensive work

filled with diverse examples and 274

colorful figures, diagrams, and

photographs.

The mountains of North America

provide most of the examples

included in the text, although the

principles behind the examples apply

to mountainous regions around the

world. Mountain Meteorology is

divided into four parts. Part I

discusses the factors that influence

climate and describes the

characteristic climates of

mountainous areas of North America.

Part II describes basic weather

elements and processes. Part III

focuses on mountain wind systems,

which are key to understanding all

types of mountain weather. Part IV

applies the meteorological principles

discussed in earlier chapters to

selected forest and land management

practices and operations.

Harold Thistle (Program

Manager- Equipment & Application

-&&
#


!&
,,2

Want to talk with someone who has seen a demo of

this new technology? Want to chat with someone

who has used it? Contact any of these folks . . .

*#
	

*
)

More about Digital

Sketchmapping,

pages 11 thru 14 Continued, page 16

Essential reading for

anyone whose life is affected

by mountain weather
15 http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/

Enterprise Team Update

Technologies, FHTET-Morgantown)

and John (Jack) W. Barry John (Jack) W. Barry (USDA

Forest Service retired) wrote a

chapter, “Aerial Spraying”, for

Mountain Meteorology, in which they

discuss the role of meteorology in the

aerial application of liquid pest

control agents to manage plant,

fungal, and animal pests in

mountainous, forested areas.

Weather is one of several factors

(including phenological conditions,

forest canopy characteristics, spray

formulation, spray equipment,

aircraft type, and pilot skills) that

affect the effectiveness of a spray

operation; thus, the collection of

meteorological data and use of

professional weather forecasters are

integral to a spraying operation.

Using the meteorological information

presented in the book, a project

manager can evaluate the

information available, and integrate

it into an operational plan and field

operation.

Harold and Jack were also on the

editorial board that provided

technical resources and guidance on

the technical content, and arranged

*
), from page 14

for the review and publication of the

manual.

 Work on Mountain Meteorology was

initiated with the support of the

USDA Forest Service to address the

need for a training manual for aerial

spraying operations in National

Forests, and was also supported by

the National Weather Service and the

U.S. Army. Mountain Meteorology is

useful for those whose lives are

affected by mountain weather in

recreational, residential, or

professional settings, and is essential

for professionals, scholars, and

students of meteorology.

*3#
-&
 is a Staff

Scientist at the U. S. Depart-ment

of Energy’s Pacific Northwest

National Laboratory in Richland,

Washington, where he does

research in mountain meteorology, boundary later meteorology, and air pollution

meteorology. He also teaches

meteorology at Washington State

University, is a Certified

Consulting Meteorologist, and

serves as an editor of the Journal

of Applied Meteorology.



This book is available free of

charge as long as the initial order

lasts. To receive a copy, write to:

Publications

USDA Forest Service

MTDC Bldg. #1

Ft. Missoula, Missoula, MT

59804