The status of Fraxinus americana and the effect of emerald ash borer infestation on forest succession on UMBS property.

Abstract

The Emerald Ash Borer infestation is causing widespread mortality i n Fraxinus spp, across the US. We measured the health status of Fraxinus americana on UMBS property and surveyed the understory composition to estimate what might su cceed in the canopy gaps of this species. We also surveyed the current overstory composition and compared our data to Pearsall's overstory survey from the 1980s to get a baseline of h ow the overstory on UMBS property has changed over time due to natural forest succession. We found mostly in significant change in overstory composition and abundance from Pearsall's data to our current data, showing the slow and non linear process of natural forest succession. However, in three of our plots, we found significant difference, which shows some tum over from early to later succession species. To predict h ow the overstory will change after the succession due to loss of the Fraxinus americana, we used the species with the highest relative abundance in the understory as our predicted succession species. We found that Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia are the most likely succession species. Since the decimation of F. americana due to this invasive pest will happen relatively quickly, it could accelerate the rate of succession on UMBS property. Since EAB is affecting millions of Fraxinus trees around the country, more baseline surveys like this need to done to determine how forests will change to do the loss of this species. More research should also be done to study the ecological role of Fraxinus and how their loss will be impacting different ecosystems.