Public Gardens and the Sentinel Plant NetworkSentinel Plant Network

Module 1

Module Objectives

• Historic examples • Current issues • Success stories• The Sentinel Plant Network–National Plant Diagnostic Network– American Public Gardens Association

• SPN expectations and opportunities

Historic ExamplesChestnut blight

Cryphonectria parasitica

Native species: one that occurs naturally with respect to a particular ecosystem, rather than as a result of an accidental or deliberate introduction into that ecosystem by humans.

Exotic species: a species that is not indigenous to a region, non-native or alien.

American chestnuts (Castanea dentata), Great Smoky Mts., NC, ca. 1910.

Historic ExamplesDutch elm disease

Ophiostoma ulmi and Ophiostoma novo-ulmi

Invasive species: organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem and whose introduction causes economic, social or environmental harm

Central Avenue “Arch of Heaven” c. 1933. American elms (Ulmus americana) lining Cornell University’s Central Avenue.

Current Issues• Sudden oak death

Phytophthora ramorum

Tanoaks (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) killed by sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum) in the Big Sur area of California. The green trees are primarily redwood.

Current Issues• Sudden oak death

• Thousand cankers disease

Geosmithia morbida and Pityophthorus juglandis

Black walnut trees (Juglans nigra) in Colorado that have died as a result of thousand cankers disease (Geosmithia morbida and Pityophthorus juglandis).

Current Issues• Sudden oak death • Thousand cankers disease

• Laurel wilt and the redbay ambrosia beetle

Raffaelea lauricola and Xyleborus glabratus

Redbay (Persea borbonia) mortality in Florida caused by laurel wilt and redbay ambrosia beetles.

Current Issues• Sudden oak death • Thousand cankers disease• Laurel wilt and the redbay

ambrosia beetle

• Emerald ash borerAgrilus planipennis

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) damage on ash spp. (Fraxinus spp.) in Ohio.

Current Issues• Sudden oak death • Thousand cankers disease• Laurel wilt and the redbay ambrosia beetle• Emerald ash borer

• Asian longhorned beetleAnoplophora glabripennis

“If the Asian longhorned beetle becomes established here, it has the potential to cause more damage than Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight and gypsy moths combined, destroying millions of acres of America's treasured hardwoods, including national forests and backyard trees. The beetle has the potential to damage such industries as lumber, maple syrup, nursery, commercial fruit and tourism accumulating over $41 billion in losses.”

Excerpt from a 2001 risk assessment by USDA-APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine

Trees infested with Asian longhorned beetles (Anoplophora glabripennis) are removed and destroyed. Before and after images taken on Granville Avenue in Worcester, MA.

Current Issues Elsewhere…

“A sad milestone in the spread of a disease mortally affecting Britain's horsechestnut trees was passed this week when one of the country's noblest horsechestnut avenues was finally cut down.”

- The Independent, 26 February 2011 Barrington Court in Somerset, England after

the final horsechestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) were removed.

SUCCESS STORIES

There is hope

Success Stories• Asian gypsy moth

and brown fir longhorned beetle

Lymantria dispar and Callidiellum villosulum

Asian gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and brown fir longhorned beetle (Callidiellum villosulum)

Success Stories• Asian gypsy moth and

brown fir longhorned beetle

• Plum pox virusPotyvirus

Symptoms of plum pox virus on apricot (Prunus armeniaca) fruit and leaves.

Success Stories• Asian gypsy moth and

brown fir longhorned beetle

• Plum pox virus

• Oak wiltCeratocystis fagacearum

Oak wilt treatment site; sign forbidding firewood gathering, to prevent spread of oak wilt. Foliar symptoms on northern red oak (top).

Success Stories• Asian gypsy moth• Plum pox virus• Oak wilt

• Bleeding canker of horsechestnut

Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi

Flower on healthy horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).

OPPORTUNITIES

Public Garden

Opportunities…

At present, the furthest point east on the regulated quarantine area is Route 140 in Shrewsbury, which is approximately 40 miles from the Arnold Arboretum. With the increase in emergences of invasive exotic pests, it may only be a matter of time before this destructive pest makes its way to the Arnold Arboretum and we want to be prepared for it when and if it does arrive. - Arnold Arboretum’s ALB

Management Plan, June 2010

Public GardensMany gardens have some level of monitoring program in place.

• 61% of gardens surveyed are monitoring their collections regularly

• 29% are monitoring when possible

According to a survey by Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

Kramer, A. and A. Hird. 2011. Building an International Sentinel Plant Network. BG-Journal. Vol. 8 (2).

Public Gardens

Many gardens are sharing this pest/pathogen information and assisting their visitors with similar problems

• 64% of gardens share information on their pests and pathogens with other gardens

• 70% of gardens share the information with their visitors through visitor and education programs

Kramer, A. and A. Hird. 2011. Building an International Sentinel Plant Network. BG-Journal. Vol. 8 (2).

According to a survey by Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

Public GardensMany gardens are utilizing outside resources to help with identification.

• 84% of gardens seek assistance with insect ID

• 88% of gardens seek assistance with identifying plant diseases

Kramer, A. and A. Hird. 2011. Building an International Sentinel Plant Network. BG-Journal. Vol. 8 (2).

According to a survey by Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

THE SENTINEL PLANT NETWORK

An Effective Partnership

Need for a Sentinel Plant NetworkImpacts• Economic• Environmental• Social• Health• Aesthetic

Early detection requires increased awareness and regular monitoring.

The Sentinel Plant NetworkThe Sentinel Plant Network (SPN) is a collaboration between the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) and is funded through the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Our Mission

The Sentinel Plant Network contributes to plant conservation by engaging public garden professionals, volunteers and visitors in the detection and diagnosis of high consequence pests and pathogens.

What We Do• Provide public garden professionals with

training and diagnostic support• Enhance garden outreach efforts on the

impact of high consequence plant pests and pathogens and engage individuals as First Detectors

• Facilitate greater collaboration about high consequence pests and pathogens through improved databases and communication protocols

NATIONAL PLANT DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK

Protecting the Nation’s Agriculture & Natural Ecosystems

The

NPDN MissionEnhance national agricultural

security by quickly detecting and identifying introduced pests and pathogens.

NPDN - primary mission areas• Detection and diagnosis• Training and education• Communication

The NPDN Mission, cont…

• Detection and diagnosis• Training and education• Communication

First Detectors: individuals who in the course of their duties are in a position to notice an unusual outbreak, a pest of concern, or symptoms of a pest of concern and who have completed NPDN training to improve their pest detection skills.

• Detection and diagnosis

• Training and education

• Communication

The NPDN Mission, cont…

AMERICAN PUBLIC GARDENS ASSOCIATION

Committed to Increasing the Knowledge of Public Garden Professionals

The

APGA Mission

Advancing Public Gardens as a force for positive change in their communities through leadership, advocacy and innovation.Our Vision: “A world where public gardens are indispensable”

APGA Strategic Goals• Strengthen the capacity

of public gardens to affect change in their communities

• Leverage the collective strength of public gardens

• Advance the professionalism of public gardens

The Sentinel Plant Network

Capacity

• 500+ APGA member gardens• 4000-5000 public garden

professionals at APGA member gardens

• 70 million visitors to APGA gardens annually

The Sentinel Plant Network

Partnership

NPDN• Develop educational

content• Provide diagnostic

support

APGA• Recruit gardens to

participate• Disseminate

information about the SPN through its membership

• Conduct training workshops for professionals

• Produce outreach materials

Why should gardens participate in the Sentinel Plant Network?

Benefits to participating in the SPN

• Cost savings through the preservation of collections and specimens

• Disaster preparedness and risk management through improved monitoring

• Specialized professional development opportunities

• Access to plant diagnostic support and expertise

• Access to SPN educational outreach materials and programs

What is expected from gardens?

• Provide SPN educational outreach materials to the visiting public

• Publicize your institution’s involvement in SPN through website links, newsletter articles, press releases, etc.

More ways to participate• Participate in professional development

workshops• Perform routine scouting for

pests/pathogens in your collections or natural areas

• Collect and submit samples of unknown pest and pathogens for diagnosis as needed

• Complete reports on scouting activity and sample submissions

More ways to participate

• Provide SPN training modules to staff and volunteers

• Conduct an annual “First Detector” training session for community members

The Sentinel Plant Network’s Mission

The Sentinel Plant Network contributes to plant conservation by engaging public garden professionals, volunteers and visitors in the detection and diagnosis of high consequence pests and pathogens.

Questions

For more information on the Sentinel Plant Network visit www.publicgardens.org/content/sentinel-plant-network

Or contact SPN manager Daniel Stern at dstern@publicgardens.org

Author credits

• Rachel L. McCarthy, MPS, NEPDN Education and Training Coordinator, Cornell University, rachel.mccarthy@cornell.edu

• George W. Hudler, PhD, NEPDN Director, Cornell University, gwh2@cornell.edu

• Amanda Hodges, PhD, SPDN Associate Director, NPDN Training and Education Program Area Manager, University of Florida, achodges@ufl.edu

Reviewer credits

• Caroline Lewis, Education Strategist and CEO The CLEO Institute

• Emily Griswold, Assistant Director of Horticulture, UC Davis Arboretum

• Lynnae Jess, Assistant Director, North Central IPM Center

References

Chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease• www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/ja_schlarbaum002.htm

Sudden oak death• www.suddenoakdeath.org/about-sudden-oak-death/history-

background/• www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/content/prin

table_version/SBR_StopTheSpread.pdf

Thousand cankers disease• http://mda.mo.gov/plants/pdf/tc_pathwayanalysis.pdf• http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/fhm/sp/tcd/tcd.shtml

References

Laurel wilt and the redbay ambrosia beetle• www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/laurelwilt/history.shtml

Emerald ash borer• www.emeraldashborer.info/

Asian longhorned beetle• www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/asian_lhb

/background.shtml

Elsewhere• www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-conker-ca

nker-disease-fells-avenue-of-horse-chestnuts-2226076.html

ReferencesAsian gypsy moth• www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archi

ves/february_2011/02222011.xml• www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/gyp

sy_moth/agm-background.shtml

Brown fir longhorned beetle• www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archi

ves/march_2011/03282011_2.xml

Plum pox virus• www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/conten

t/printable_version/fs_rev_plumpox_2009.pdf• www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/plu

m_pox/downloads/DA-2009-55.pdf

References

Oak wilt• www.na.fs.fed.us/ss/10/decisive_action.pdf

Bleeding canker of horsechestnut• www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/fe

deral_order/downloads/da2010-02.pdf

ALB across from the Arnold• http://arboretum.harvard.edu/news-events/archived-news/a

lb/

Invasive species• www.csrees.usda.gov/invasivespecies.cfm

Date of Publication

September 2011