North Central Research Station

Understanding and Managing Disease in Forest Ecosystems

Our Goal: Healthy Forests

Timberlands and woodlands Photo by J. O'Brien	Plantations Photo by M. Ostry	Urban and community forests   Photo by G. Hove

We conduct research to understand tree diseases so that we can develop management strategies and planning tools to achieve our goal of healthy timberlands and woodlands, plantations and urban landscapes. Our research falls into three major areas of focus:

Invasive species - Non-native invasive species (those entering from outside our region) as well as native invasives are posing increasing threats to our forest resources. Current research topics on invasive species include prediction and prevention, detection and monitoring, management and restoration, as well as specific diseases caused by invasive pathogens, including Sudden Oak Death (SOD), white pine blister rust, butternut canker, red pine shoot blights, oak wilt, and Armillaria root disease.

Oak health in the Midwest - Oaks occur on over 5 million hectares of land in the Midwest and are important for wildlife habitat, for wood products, and in landscapes. In addition to Sudden Oak Death (SOD), and oak wilt, current research addresses the threats posed by Phytophthora species, oak decline, and urbanization.

Diseases and changing forest management in the Midwest - Forest management is changing, and sometimes these changes inadvertently create conditions conducive to the development of damaging diseases. We are developing guides and site suitability models to assist managers of hybrid poplar plantations in avoiding outbreaks of damaging diseases, and we are studying red pine shoot blights and pine management to reduce losses caused by these diseases.