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Oak wilt

Photograph of leaf and whole tree symptoms of oak wilt in a red oak tree. Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Oak wilt is a fungal disease that can quickly kill an oak tree. It is caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum. Symptoms vary by tree species but generally consist of leaf discoloration, wilt, defoliation, and death. The fungus is spread from diseased to healthy trees by insect vectors or via connections between tree roots. Management of the disease consists mainly of preventing infection by avoiding tree wounds, removing diseased trees and digging trenches that disrupt root connections. Chemical treatments are available and are mostly preventive as well. Oak wilt is an important disease of oak for timber production and of oak trees in urban areas.

This article excerpt uses material from the Wikipedia article "Oak_wilt", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
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Asian Longhorned Beetle

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB, Anoplophora glabripennis) is a destructive wood-boring pest of maple and other hardwoods. ALB was first discovered on several hardwood trees in the United States in Brooklyn, New York, in August 1996. ALB is believed to have been introduced into the United States from wood pallets and other wood packing material accompanying cargo shipments from Asia. ALB was later detected in Chicago, Illinois, in July 1998. The Secretary of Agriculture declared an emergency in order to combat the infestation with regulatory and control actions. In October 2002, the beetle was found in Hudson County, New Jersey, and then in Middlesex and Union Counties, New Jersey, in August 2004. In August 2008, ALB was discovered in Worcester County, Massachusetts, and in July 2010, ALB was found in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Most recently, ALB was confirmed in Clermont County, Ohio, in June 2011.

For more information, contact the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or your local Department of Agriculture Office or go to www.aphis.usda.gov.

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