Brad
Withrow-Robinson, OSU Forestry & Natural Resources Extension agent for
Benton, Linn and Polk counties.
Mature forest in western Oregon
People enjoy and cherish Oregon’s forests for a number of reasons. High among them are the beauty and the variety of plants and animals that live there.
While most of us picture older forests when we read
that, we would be wrong to think of that as the complete picture. Nonetheless a large part of our emotional,
scientific and social energy is directed towards those older forests.
By Amy Grotta, OSU Forestry & Natural Resources Extension – Columbia, Washington and Yamhill Counties
Insects – they can get a bad rap. Many of our humankind categorically view them as pests – agents of uncleanliness, nuisance, or destruction. Sure, it’s hard to appreciate houseflies, ticks, mosquitos and yellow jackets, but the vast majority of them – nearly 100,000 known insect species in the U.S. alone –are simply going about their business and doing no harm to us. Many are even providing services that we take for granted such as disposing of detritus and cycling nutrients.
Larval galleries of wood boring insects in a dead ponderosa pine tree
The same goes for insects in the forest. We in Extension receive many photos and samples brought to us from people who suspect that insects are killing their trees. However, I’m here to tell you that if you have a dead or dying tree, then chances are that even though it is full of insects and their tunnels, it’s usually a case of correlation, not causation. Continue reading →
