Alexander Rodriguez Citizen Science Project – Invasive Species – Emerald Ash Borer For my Citizen Science project I chose to download the app and use the website Eddsmap.org, formerly known as whatsinvasive.com, to learn about and identify invasive species in Colorado. Invasive species are defined as any non-native organism that has entered and become established within another ecosystem. Those that are of concern are the species whose presence disrupts some aspect of the new ecosystem and threatens the health or even the existence of native species. According to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website, Colorado breaks down its various types of invasive species as either aquatic nuisance species, noxious weeds, or forest pests (Colorado's Top Invasive Species Concerns). The EddsMap app allows professionals and citizen scientists alike to learn about all types of invasive species across the United States and report sightings to assist in their study and elimination. In addition to being able to add and read reported sightings, the website also offers extensive resources such as: distribution maps, statistics, data downloads, and species information. For my project I chose to focus on the invasive species the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The EAB is originally from Asia and was first discovered in the US in Michigan in 2002 and in Colorado in 2013 (Colorado's Top Invasive Species Concerns). The EAB’s larva feed under the bark of ash trees and effectively cuts off the tree’s water and nutrient supply resulting in death (Blumhardt). This is a major concern to anywhere that has a significant population of ash trees such as Colorado where the trees make up an “estimated 15 percent or more of all trees” in our urban and community forests (Emerald Ash Borer: A Green Menace). I found that most cities in Colorado maintain detailed records of publicly maintained ash tree populations and I used the City of Longmont’s website to identify potentially affected trees near me (EAB Treatment Map). On their map they identify individual trees and label them as either having been treated, scheduled for treatment, or not selected for treatment. I found that there were a good selection of each at the Lefthand Creek Park near my home and went there to identify the ash trees and look for signs of infestation. Although most of the trees looked healthy I did find some that showed the tell-tale signs of the burrowing larva on some areas of the trunk where the bark had been removed. The problem however is not only on the ash trees that are publicly maintained in fact most of the ash trees reside on private property where often times costly control and prevention is required of the land owners. The largest tree in my yard that provides all of our shade is a very large ash tree and it gets treated annually via trunk injection to prevent an infestation. I learned that the way that the EAB spreads is almost exclusively through the transportation of the wood of infected trees as they do not naturally travel far away from their born (Emerald Ash Borer: A Green Menace). This is why the “Buy Where you Burn” campaign regarding the transportation of firewood was begun. Despite concerted efforts the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer continues throughout Colorado and many other states. Works Cited Blumhardt, Miles. “FAQ: The Emerald Ash Borer Is in Fort Collins. Here Are Your Options of Dealing with It.” The Coloradoan, Fort Collins Coloradoan, 15 May 2020, https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2020/05/15/emerald-ash-borer-spreadingcolorado-here-what-you-can-do/5189650002/. “Colorado's Top Invasive Species Concerns.” Colorado Parks and Wildlife, https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/ISP-Top-Species.aspx. “EAB Treatment Map.” City of Longmont, Colorado, https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-e-m/forestry/emerald-ashborer/eab-treatment-map. “Emerald Ash Borer: A Green Menace.” Colorado State Forest Service, CSFS, 9 July 2021, https://csfs.colostate.edu/forest-management/emerald-ash-borer/.
