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As climate change reduces the frequency and intensity of killing freezes, tropical plants and animals that once could survive in only a few parts of the U.S. mainland are expanding their ranges northward, a new U.S. Geological Survey-led study has found. The change is likely to result in some temperate zone plant and animal communities found today across the southern U.S. being replaced by tropical communities. These changes will have complex economic, ecological and human health consequences, the study predicts. Some effects are potentially beneficial, such as expanding winter habitat for cold-sensitive manatees and sea turtles; others pose problems, such as the spread of insect-borne human diseases and destructive invasive species.

ARS researchers created a new tool, called Pathogen and Tree Fruit Health Map (PATHMAP), which will connect growers in different states and allow them to share important data regarding tree fruit diseases, disorders, and insect pests. This online interactive tool will enable growers to modify and adjust their pathogen and pest control programs based on real-time data, provide quick access to time-sensitive data, give them access to experts in the field, and provide access to previous years observations and track current diseases, disorders and pests.
See also: Down on the Farm archives

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced $17.5 million in emergency funding to stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly in southeastern Pennsylvania. The spotted lanternfly, with its distinctive and colorful wings, was first identified in Pennsylvania in 2014. The affected area expanded from 174 square miles in fiscal year (FY) 2016 to approximately 3,000 square miles by the end of FY 2017.

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Laurel wilt is a disease of woody plants in the laurel family (Lauraceae). Hundreds of millions of redbay (Persea borbonia) trees have been killed by laurel wilt in the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain region of the United States (US). The disease has also killed large numbers of sassafras (Sassafras albidum) trees in forests and landscapes, and avocado (Persea americana) trees in commercial production. As of October 2019, laurel wilt was known to occur from Texas to North Carolina, south through Florida and north to Kentucky. Laurel wilt is expected to continue spreading through sassafras in the eastern US, and is a potential threat to California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) in the western US and to lauraceous species elsewhere in the world.
See also: Region 8 - Forest & Grassland Health for more information.

See also: Forest Health Protection Contacts

Forest managers frequently make decisions regarding the use of pesticides on forest lands. These decisions must be based not only on the effectiveness of these tools, but also on an understanding of the risks associated with their use. For the pesticides commonly used by the Forest Service in its management activities, Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments (HERAs) are prepared.

PestLens is APHIS-PPQ's phytosanitary early-warning system that collects and distributes new information on exotic plant pests and provides a web-based platform for documenting safeguarding decisions and resulting actions. A weekly e-mail notification is sent to PestLens subscribers.
Note: While PestLens was developed for PPQ, its audience now extends beyond PPQ to a wide range of international plant protection officials.

How do Great Lakes water levels affect expansion and management? This geonarrative aims to provide land managers, decision makers, and the public with a historical perspective on the influence of water levels on Phragmites expansion and to identify Phragmites populations best suited for management in high water.
See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

See also: Ecological Risk Screening Summaries for more species summaries

Find contact information for USDA staff working with plant pests and diseases, domestic and emergency programs, moving plants across State lines, including:

• State Plant Health Directors - report a pest or disease, ask about domestic or emergency programs in my State, or move plants or plant products interstate
• National Identification Services - get information about pest and disease identifications, quarantine pests, or pest action policies for ports of entry
• Select Agents - ask about biological select agents and toxins that could threaten plant health
• Plant Protection Act Section 7721 - ask about Plant Protection Act Section 7721 projects, funding opportunities, and how to apply

See also: Plant Materials Technical Documents for more species

Includes information on honey bee pests, including the varroa mite.