Aggressive management of satellite populations of emerald ash borer can delay population growth

Emerald ash borer is an invasive species that became established in North America near Detroit, MI in the early- to mid- 1990s. The ongoing invasion is being primarily driven by the establishment of satellite infestations following the movement of firewood by humans. In Minnesota, the first infestation was discovered in Saint Paul in 2009. Sanitation, the removal of infested or at-risk trees, is a common management tool used to lower the densities of emerald ash borer and potentially delay population growth and expansion. The impact of such management practices on emerald ash borer has not been quantified for the Twin Cities, where the satellite infestation was detected shortly after establishment. From 2009-2013, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture employed an aggressive tree removal program, during which the densities of emerald ash borer in removed trees were estimated using yearly subsamples. Using the projected population growth of emerald ash borer, the number of trees removed, and the phloem resources associated with each removed tree, we quantified the effect of sanitation on densities of emerald ash borer. The results of the study and the role of sanitation practices in managing recently-established populations of emerald ash borer will be discussed.