TERRE HAUTE —
I was recently asked by someone to imagine what the end of the world would look like. I consider myself a very optimistic person and have never imagined the end. The only image that came to mind was one often portrayed in a Hollywood movie, a scene where a big fireball comes down and everything is burnt to a crisp. The person I was talking with imagined the end would be a world where there are no living trees. This short but interesting conversation got me interested in what has and is plaguing trees.
Death of the great American chestnut
The American chestnut was cultivated in 1800 and was once considered to be the queen of the eastern American forest. The American chestnut was known to reach a height of 100 feet. The nuts of the American chestnut were large, sweet, and highly desired by people, deer, squirrels, and chipmunks.
Around 1904 a chestnut blight was introduced into the United States. The chestnut blight was first discovered by a forester at the Bronx Zoo in New York. It is believed that the fungus was introduced into America from Asian chestnut trees that were imported as nursery stock.
Before the chestnut blight, the tree reproduced abundantly by seeds and sprouts and had few insect enemies. Today, the American chestnut is known only in memory because the young American chestnut trees rarely survive long enough to produce flowers and fruits.
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease was first labeled in the 1930s. The disease is spread by three species of the Elm Bark Beetle. Researchers believe the beetle originated in China but arrived in America via Europe. Thirty years later, in the 1960s, it creeped into Minnesota. During that 30-year time span Minnesota was optimistic that the disease could not survive in their cold climates and continued to plant elm trees. By the 1950s Minnesota had 140 million elm trees — until Dutch elm disease arrived.
Looking back, Minnesota had 30 years to prepare. Instead nurseries continued to sell elm trees and cities continued to plant them. Elm logs, elm firewood was still allowed to be transported for material use and firewood. Since the transportation of elm was allowed to continue the disease continued to spread.
De ja vu
Since 2002 we have been hearing, and skimming over articles about the emerald ash borer. EAB is an exotic beetle, which arrived in America from China. Our neighbors to the north have been plagued by this bug and have watched their neighborhood landscape change, as all of their ash trees die. Terre Haute resident Lynn VanEtten is from Charlevoix, Mich., (just north of Traverse City) and first heard of EAB a few years ago.
“The parks started clearing their ash trees and we thought that was kind of severe because certainly some of the trees would survive,” VanEtten said.
VanEtten had ash trees on her own property and remained optimistic that they would survive.
“We thought we were fine and people were overreacting and the next summer we went up to Michigan and it was just shocking,” VanEtten said.
The landscape of Charlevoix had changed. VanEtten was fortunate enough to make the decision to save some of the trees on her property by treating them with a chemical. At last check they were still alive.
“For people the closer things hit to home, the more you pay attention, I think that is human nature,” VanEtten said.
EAB hits home
Fort Wayne became infested with EAB in 2006. Since then the city has spent about $8 million dollars to handle EAB. Some neighborhoods lost 90 percent of their canopy. In 2011, Fort Wayne lost an additional 4,000 trees. By 2015, officials expect to have no untreated ash trees left.
In late 2011, EAB was found in Clay County.
Jane Santucci is an environmental freelance writer for the Tribune-Star. Santucci is a proud volunteer with TREES Inc. and Our Green Valley. She also sits on the Wabash Valley Goodwill Industries Board of Directors. Share your environmental stories and tips with her at JaneSantucci@yourgreenvalley.com.
Valley Life
YOUR GREEN VALLEY: Conversation leads to imagining a world with no trees
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BRIDGE: May 20, 2012
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BRIDGE COLUMN: May 13, 2012
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Newsmaker: May 6, 2012
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