Maples and Chestnuts of New York City
Posted by Brody on July 8, 2009I attended a tree conference in New York to listen to one of Cornell’s top scientist give a report about the first known infestation of the Asian long-horned beetle. After my colleagues and I checked into one of the Best Hotels New York City has, we immediately headed off to the conference. We were running late due to airline delays, but we managed to make it just in time to hear his report.
His findings have confirmed that the Asian long-horned beetle is attacking Brooklyn’s Horse-chestnut and Maple tree population. The Norway maple is the most planted shade tree through out New York state. So, this beady-eyed beetle could have a devastating effect if no action is taken. The beetle isn’t harmful to humans, but it is devastating trees in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Northern Brooklyn, which is harmful.
The only thing being done at the moment is at the U.S. border entrances. They are being diligently guarded to keep these pests from infiltrating into this country. The beetle is native to Japan, the southern sections of China and Korea and this is the first time it has been seen outside of Asia. The beetle apparently got a free ride to the U.S. and got through customs without proper papers. Hearing the news about the confirmation of this devastating beetle in Brooklyn is hard enough to take, but what’s even harder is the urban environment is already stressed and traumatized. This really doesn’t bode well for the trees that are already under the pressure to just grow.
This finding of the Greenpoint infestation might just make the New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation decide to cut down the maple and horse-chestnut trees. There’s really no natural predator for the beetle and the amount of weakening these beetles will do to the trees, i.e., boring, the trees will be a hazard to humans when the trees structure will collapse and branches will fall. My colleagues and I left the conference feeling helpless and we walked down a maple tree lined street.
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