Forest Health Protection - International Projects
| Forest Health Protection in Region 5 has actively participated in FHP programs and projects involving international partners and cooperators in numerous countries, including Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, China and Malaysia. The skills and technologies contributed have helped protect forest resources in other countries and have reduced the potential threat of exotic invasive pests from entering the United States. WIPRAMET
- The USDA FS has provided assistance to APHIS in conducting pest risk assessments of the importation of logs from Russia, New Zealand, Chile, Mexico, South America, and Australia according to a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies signed in 1992.
- In 1995 the Chief of the Forest Service chartered the Wood Import Pest Risk Assessment and Mitigation Evaluation Team made up of Forest Service employees to provide a permanent source of technical assistance to APHIS in conducting pest risk assessments of exotic pests that may move with logs and chips. Forest Health Protection in Region 5 has been involved in all the PRAs.
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Tropical Tree Pathology
- Sixteen students from seven southeast Asian countries participated in a one week training course developed by Region 5 on health of tropical forest trees. The course, held in April 2005 at the Forest Research Institute in Malaysia, was supported by FHP, International Forestry, and the Asian Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions. The intent of the course was to provide basic skills in, and competencies and understanding of, disease recognition, monitoring and management of tropical tree diseases.
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Activities in Mexico
- Diseases of Mexican Forest Trees
In cooperation with the Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Health Protection is providing expertise to disease chapters in Dr. Cibrian’s book on Tree Diseases of Mexico. The book is supported in part by the insect and disease committee of the North American Forestry Commission.
- Pest Risk Assessment
As member of the WIPRAMET, FHP contributed to the publication, Pest risk assessment of the importation into the United States of unprocessed Pinus and Abies logs from Mexico. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-104. 116 p.
- Impacts of Bark Beetles on Pinyon Pine
Assisted CONOFOR with efforts to determine impacts of bark beetles on pinyon pine ecosystems. Provide training to establish plots to monitor Ips confusus and drought caused mortality.
- Oak Decline
As member of FHP team of forest pathologists, worked with Dr. Alvarado-Rosales at the Colegio de Postgraduados and with Centro Nacional de Referencia en Parasitologia Forestal (SEMARNAT) to determine the role of Phytophthora species in the decline of native oaks in five Mexican states. A series of 10 permanent plots in five Mexican states were established to monitor long term forest health.
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Activities in China
- In 1991, the book "Forest Insects of China", 2nd edition (ed. by Xiao, Gangrou) was printed in Chinese and continues to be the most valuable publication that includes information on 824 forest insect species in 141 families of 13 orders.
- OfficialsdChinese Academy of Forestry, and other cooperators from the Chinese Forestry Administration, the China Forestry Publishing House, the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the USDA Forest Service-Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, Forest Health Protection and Forest Service Research are working to. The major focus during the next three years (January 2005 - December 2007) will be: 1) Update the technical information concerning major forest insects that appeared in the Chinese version of the 1991 publication "Forest Insects of China" and collected during the forest pest survey during 2004; 2) Review the accuracy of the manuscript both English grammatically and technically; and 3) Publish new versions (English book and English CD) of the "Forest Insects of China".
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