ARPHA Preprints, doi: 10.3897/arphapreprints.e122266
Extent, impacts, and drivers of oystershell scale invasions in aspen ecosystems
expand article infoConnor Crouch§, Amanda Grady§, Nicholas Wilhelmi§, Richard Hofstetter, Margaret Moore, Kristen Waring
‡ School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, United States of America§ USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Arizona Zone, Flagstaff, United States of America
Open Access
Abstract

Invasive herbivores that kill foundation tree species pose a major threat to forest ecosystem sustainability. One important foundation tree species in the interior western United States is quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), which is threatened by recent outbreaks of an invasive insect, oystershell scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi; OSS). OSS outbreaks were first reported in 2016, when OSS began causing dieback and mortality of aspen in wildland forest settings in northern Arizona. Since then, OSS has been observed in other locations across Arizona and in other western states, and recent studies in Arizona have highlighted the threat that OSS poses to aspen sustainability, warranting a comprehensive survey of OSS invasions and their impacts on aspen ecosystems. We sampled aspen populations across Arizona and addressed three questions: (1) What is the geographic extent of OSS in Arizona? (2) What impacts does OSS have on aspen? (3) Which biotic and abiotic factors influence OSS abundance? We found that OSS was widespread in central Arizona and had a negative impact on aspen forest health. OSS was associated with crown damage and tree mortality, especially of intermediate-sized, recruiting stems. Climate was the most important driver of plot-level OSS abundance, with warmer, drier conditions resulting in significantly more OSS. OSS was also associated with less recent fire, presence of ungulate management strategies such as fenced exclosures, and stands with a greater density of aspen saplings. We conclude that active management is required to suppress OSS populations and mitigate damage to aspen ecosystems, and we provide OSS monitoring and management recommendations based on our findings.

Keywords
armored scale insect, climate change, invasion ecology, Lepidosaphes ulmi, Populus tremuloides, sleeper species