Since most invasive forest pests first establish in urban areas, detection and containment of these pests within cities is important to the health of all forests. While the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) has proved difficult to contain, efforts continue to mitigate the impacts of its spread. As part of those efforts, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) initiated its Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Program (EABTP) in 2018, providing financial incentives for insecticidal protection of ash trees. To better understand the role of incentives in promoting urban forest health, I conducted a study of properties, households, and practitioners involved in the program's first year.
To examine where EABTP funding helped pay for tree protection, I conducted tree inventories on 16 urban participant properties. Concurrently with tree inventory work, I conducted web and mail surveys to examine homeowner engagement in preservation of threatened trees. Finally, to investigate the role of forest practitioners involved in program implementation, I conducted web surveys of VDOF foresters and Virginia arborists. Results demonstrated that on urban participant properties—typically large and wooded—white ash (Fraxinus americana) was the dominant species. Results from homeowner surveys demonstrated broad support for personal investment in tree preservation, and the significance of attitudinal predictors towards those intentions. Results from practitioner surveys demonstrated substantial, though not unanimous, support for the program as a benefit both to clients and forests. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of future urban forest health initiatives. / Master of Science / Because most non-native forest pests arrive in cities before spreading to rural areas, detecting and containing these pests within urban forests is important to all forested areas. One non-native pest, the emerald ash borer (EAB), has proved difficult to contain, but there are ongoing efforts to limit the damage it causes as it spreads. As part of those efforts, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) began its Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Program (EABTP) in 2018, which offered partial reimbursement for the cost of protecting ash trees with insecticide. To better understand how reimbursement payments might help promote the health of urban trees, I studied the properties, households, and practitioners involved in first year of the program. To examine where EABTP funding helped pay for tree protection, I conducted inventories of all trees on 16 participating properties in urban areas. At the same time, I conducted web and mail surveys to examine how homeowners thought about urban tree preservation. Finally, I conducted web surveys of VDOF foresters and Virginia arborists, to investigate roles of these practitioners in implementing the program. Results indicated that on urban participant properties, which were typically large and wooded, white ash was the dominant species. Results from homeowner surveys demonstrated broad support for personal investment in tree preservation, and the significance of attitudes in predicting that support. Results from practitioner surveys demonstrated substantial, though not unanimous, support for the program as a benefit both to clients and forests. These findings are discussed in the context of future urban forest health programs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/90382 |
| Date | 19 June 2019 |
| Creators | Stewart, Peter William |
| Contributors | Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Wiseman, P. Eric, Salom, Scott M., Munsell, John F. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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