'Sounding the alarm': Study shows ash trees on path to functional extinction

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University professor has been doing a study to determine if the emerald ash borer is putting ash trees on a path to a functional extinction.

Songlin Fei, a professor of forestry and natural resources and Purdue Agriculture’s Dean’s Chair of Remote Sensing, said since the emerald ash borer invaded the United States, ash trees across the region have been desiccated.

“As a home owner myself, I see trees dying,” said Fei, adding the question that arises is, will all ash trees be gone soon?

Fei said there have been ash seedlings popping up around the region.

Fei said the natural question becomes, will the little seedlings make it? To get that answer would take a long-term study over a 10- to 20-year time period.

Fei said he decided to study a different set of data and from it he concluded the saplings would grow into young trees that will die off before they reach the reproductive stage.

The professor said that while looking at a large set of data, the results showed there was a trend in young trees dying and it was most likely due to emerald ash borer.

“This leads us to believe if this trend continues, and there aren’t enough seeds, we can’t have saplings,” said Fei, which leads him to believe ash trees are headed on a path of functional extinction.

Fei stressed the path to functional extinction doesn’t mean that all ash trees will be gone entirely. Being functionally extinct means that they will not provide economic value as hardwoods or the ecological services they long have in forested areas.

Fei said he will continue to do his study and analyze the data to find a clearer trend.

“I’m sounding the alarm bell,” Fei said, adding that right now the most important thing is protection and remediation of those ash trees that are still growing strong.

For more information about emerald ash borer management, visit https://tinyurl.com/yybz9uf4.