Ways to Reduce Emerald Ash Borer
By:Claire Skinner
Big Idea
Humans depend on biodiversity for resources, but humans are negatively impacting biodiversity. Sustaining biodiversity is essential to life on Earth.
Defining the problem
How is the Emerald Ash Borer harming the environment and biodiversity?
- As ash trees in forests die, gaps form in the forest canopy, allowing light to reach understory vegetation.
What affect does the Emerald Ash Borer have on the stability of the ecosystem here in Iowa?
- It has costed hundreds of millions of dollars across the United States.
- Adults don’t impact the tree much, but the larvae disrupt the trees ability to transport water and nutrients.
How do we know it is a problem?
Solution 1
Solution: Cutting down the trees
Explanation: Cut down all of your infested trees and then burn it
How it Decreases EAB: It decreases the population of EAB and prevents it from doing more damage
Costs: The average tree removal cost ranges from $500 to $1,000.
Environmental Impacts: It could fall on something and damage it and it could also be an animals living space.
Putting Into Action: It would be pretty easy just very labor intensive and it will take lots of time.
Solution 2
Solution: Spray trees infected with EAB.
Explanation: Spray your trees with stuff that prevents/protects your trees from EAB.
How it Decreases EAB: Spraying trees that are infested with EAB.
Costs: It would depend on how much spray you purchase.
Environmental Impacts: The chemical is harmless to the environment. It only harms the pests and that is good because it prevents it from eating trees and other plants.
Putting Into Action: This solution would be easy to put in action because it just requires you to spray all of your trees.
My Best Solution Is Solution 2
- I feel like solution number 2 is better because it is more realistic than cutting down all the ash trees and burning them. It will also be friendlier to the environment and not only will it get rid of the EAB in the infested trees it will also prevent them. it is cheaper to so that is always a plus.
My proposal
- People need to monitor their trees and watch for signs of EAB. They should also spray the trees to prevent them from getting EAB. By spraying trees and not chopping them down we are being more environment friendly.