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My research examines the effects that emerald ash borer (EAB) has on ash trees. I am interested in whether the proximity/density of ash trees facilitates increased infestation of trees within an area and thus a more rapid decline of those trees and spread of EAB. I predicted that as stand density increases the number of trees infected by EAB will also increase. With more resources (denser plot) available for EAB to lay eggs in the bark and produce offspring, I expect this would accelerate the decline of ash trees. I judged the health of ash trees by the absence or presence of signs of EAB activity such as woodpecker foraging, EAB larval galleries in the bark, fissures in the tree. Ecological processes in my work might touch upon include chemical control of EAB using insecticides, biological control of EAB using parasitoids, species resilience (ash trees), species stability (ash trees). The use of chemical or biological controls helps to understand how invasive species spread and how it affects interspecies relationships.
Three key words to describe my research are Invasive species, Biological Stressor, Fitness
