海角社区

Students and faculty at 海角社区 of Alexandria (海角社区A) are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Southern Research Station on a project to document the impact hurricanes and tornadoes have on insects in southern forests. And not just cute ones. Downed and damaged trees can be fertile feeding and breeding grounds for bark- and wood-boring beetles, which potentially can spread to healthy trees. With forestry being the largest agricultural industry in the state and storms expected to grow stronger, resulting in more damage鈥攂oth immediate damage from wind and longer-term collateral damage due to insect infestations鈥攖he work has vast implications. Together, 海角社区A and the Forest Service intend to gather data to help Louisiana forest owners make better management decisions to protect trees and a $10-14 billion homegrown industry.

Forestry is a $10-14 billion industry in Louisiana according to recently updated numbers from the 海角社区 AgCenter. It鈥檚 the largest agricultural commodity in the state, accounting for one-fourth of all plant enterprises, far ahead of sugarcane at $1 billion. It might not seem this way from tourism brochures, but more than half of all land in the state is actually forest, split among as many as 150,000 owners. Concentrated in the northern and western part of the state, Louisiana forestry produces both pulpwood and sawtimber. Each year, the state sells enough boards to, if laid end to end, circle the Earth more than sevenfold.

鈥淭wo of our biggest job creators here in central Louisiana are healthcare and forestry,鈥� said Christof Stumpf, entomologist and professor of biology at 海角社区 of Alexandria. 鈥淣o matter where you go, you will see plenty of pine trees on huge trucks being hauled away鈥攊t鈥檚 of great economic importance. But our trees are at risk. We鈥檙e seeing bigger and more persistent storms with more direct damage to trees, and also indirect damage from post-storm explosions in insect populations, which can spread to standing trees.鈥�

鈥淲ith the expected increase in hurricane damage and surges in pest insect populations following these storms, we want to set realistic expectations and advise owners on the best long-term forest management practices.鈥濃��Brian Sullivan, entomologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Southern Research Station

The main culprits are bark- and wood-boring insects that tunnel inside the living part of the tree, within the bark, as well as deep into the wood. Brian Sullivan, entomologist at the USDA research station in Pineville, Louisiana, is an expert on the bark-boring pine beetles and the wood-boring ambrosia beetle, two major threats.

鈥淭he damage in the last 20 years鈥攊rrespective of storms鈥攊s estimated in the billions of dollars,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淏ark beetles mine into the bark and can basically girdle the tree, causing it to die very rapidly as the nutrients from the leaves no longer can reach the roots. Ambrosia beetles, meanwhile, mine into the wood itself and establish fungus gardens, causing holes and stains.鈥�

Historically, catastrophic wind and weather events have had limited impact on long-term forest health, however. Surviving trees have appeared to do okay over time.

鈥淏ut this is likely to change,鈥� warns Sullivan. 鈥淲e see more trees that are stressed from drought, and the beetles have an easier time infesting these trees. Rainfall and floods can also open up new opportunities for insects and fungi, but we don鈥檛 yet understand the exact dynamics.鈥�

鈥淭he idea for our project is to establish patterns so we can make better predictions for what happens after a hurricane and help forest owners make better management decisions and optimize their response to a disaster,鈥� said Stumpf. 鈥淪o, naturally, we want to help as much as we can.鈥�

鈥淥ur shared goal is to find out when it鈥檚 better to cut and remove only the damaged trees or give up on a damaged stand altogether, cut everything, and start over,鈥� Sullivan explained. 鈥淲ith the expected increase in hurricane damage and surges in pest insect populations following these storms, we want to set realistic expectations and advise owners on the best long-term forest management practices.鈥�

This project isn鈥檛 the first where Sullivan and the Forest Service have collaborated with Stumpf and 海角社区A. An earlier research project focused on acoustic communication among bark beetle pests of the South, as acoustic signals of bark beetles have been used to disrupt their reproduction.

鈥淲e鈥檝e always had a strong research relationship with 海角社区A and my interactions with students have all been wonderful,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淚n fact, two of my current full-time technicians are former 海角社区A students.鈥�

Sullivan and his team have already established 13 forest plots, each measuring 25 acres, and begun installing hundreds of insect traps for the joint study. Through a Joint Venture Agreement, $40,000 has been made available by the Forest Service to pay 海角社区A students to help sort and identify the insects, establishing both abundance and diversity.

The work will take place in the two-year wake of hurricanes Laura and Delta last year, which tracked straight across the western and northern part of the state, causing unprecedented damage to more than 1 million acres of Louisiana forest and much of the Kisatchie. Downed and damaged trees can become an enticing buffet for bark- and wood-boring insects who otherwise are kept at bay by the trees鈥� chemical defenses, such as pine resin, which is highly toxic for most insects. Over the millennia, however, a handful of 鈥渁ggressive鈥� bark beetles have evolved to tolerate modest amounts, and when hundreds to thousands of beetles attack a tree simultaneously, they can overcome even healthy pines.

For forest owners, the decision to cut or keep trees in damaged stands depends on several factors. The value of salvaged timber can be much lower, and if a lot of owners cut entire stands at the same time, this could cause a 鈥渟alvage glut鈥� where supply exceeds demand, causing prices to fall further. Meanwhile, thinning stands is an established best practice to reduce risk of beetle infestations. It鈥檚 about maximizing forest health and value over time.

鈥淎s forest managers, we strive to ensure our forests are healthy and well managed. All of our decisions could be influenced by the type of research [海角社区A and the USDA Forest Service] are doing.鈥濃��Molpus Woodlands Group South Central Operations Director Joe Pokorny

 

Molpus Woodlands Group South Central Operations Director Joe Pokorny manages about 360,000 acres of Louisiana forest. Based in DeRidder, he witnessed more damage from Hurricane Laura than ever before in his 40-year career.

鈥淲hen Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, we had Rita that year, but the destruction was even higher with Laura,鈥� Pokorny said. 鈥淲e did our best to salvage as much as we could, but there are only so many markets you can take your product to, and after three-four months, downed trees are no longer viable to take to the mills.鈥�

Early this spring, Pokorny also started receiving worrisome reports about large insect populations, primarily engraver (Ips) beetles.

鈥淭his was the first time I鈥檇 seen anything like it, so we started doing some research since we were concerned about a major outbreak in standing, living pine trees,鈥� Pokorny said. 鈥淟earning about the 海角社区A-USDA study, I鈥檓 very interested to see what they discover, if they can pick up a shift in patterns. We鈥檙e always interested in basic research and the implications it has on forest management. As forest managers, we strive to ensure our forests are healthy and well managed. All of our decisions could be influenced by the type of research they鈥檙e doing.鈥�

Despite the current challenges, Pokorny is heartened by the recent news about Interfor鈥檚 planned reopening of the sawmill in DeQuincy and Canfor鈥檚 $160 million investment in a new lumber mill near DeRidder.

鈥淚 firmly believe the fiber and resources we need for the future are here,鈥� Pokorny said. 鈥淭hese forest sites are very productive and despite the damage last fall, we鈥檒l be able to grow remaining trees out to rotation to provide the volume this area needs.鈥�

Robbie Hutchins, 海角社区 AgCenter鈥檚 forestry and wildlife extension agent in central and southwestern Louisiana, is also excited about the news, keenly aware of the pocketbook considerations forest owners have, while facing another potentially active hurricane season.

Forest landowners do not have the advantage of crop insurance, government disaster payments, or government subsidies that are available to traditional farmers and row crop producers,鈥� Hutchins said. 鈥淢eanwhile, there are many increased hazards and financial burdens other than just the potential for insect attack. With Laura, many forest landowners suffered damage to their homes and businesses on top of losing their forest land investment. We also have the danger from things like catastrophic wildfires in the affected areas due to the historic, unprecedented fuel load of dry and dead wood. It is real and scary. But the people of Louisiana are strong鈥攚e will replant our forests and rebuild our lives.鈥�

This news story was featured in 海角社区鈥檚 free, quarterly research publication, Working for Louisiana, where you can learn more about how work on every 海角社区 campus impacts residents and industry in the state, and beyond.

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