Got Nature? Blog

Electrical utility lines serve nearly every neighborhood, adding efficiency and luxury to every day of our lives.

Likewise, trees enhance our neighborhoods and bring beauty to our surroundings. Trees improve our air and water quality. They shade our homes, screen undesirable views, and help reduce noise along with many other ecosystem services.

We want both.

Purdue FNR Urban Forestry Specialist Lindsey Purcell addresses the conflicts that sometimes arise when trees and electrical lines must share space and ways to avoid them in his latest publication “Trees and Electric Lines“. Check out the publication to learn more about how to avoid boundary issues, safety concerns, power outages, and more while dealing with trees and electric lines.

Resources:
Trees and Electric Lines – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Tree Risk Management – The Education Store
Trees and Storms – The Education Store
Urban Forestry and Arboriculture – Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources
Power Friendly Trees – Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

​This year’s Indiana Tree Climbing Competition has come to a close, with Purdue’s Casey Johnson finishing first place in the preliminary events and Jon Montgomery winning the Masters Challenge and going on to the international competition in San Antonio next spring.

Purdue’s public radio station highlighted the event in an article titled “A Different Kind of Athlete: Competitive Tree Climbers Compete In Indiana Championship“. From the article:

“What it does is mimics what you do in a work production standpoint, only in a competition environment,” says Lindsey Purcell, who teaches forestry at Purdue and serves as president of the Indiana Arborists Association. “I mean, I call them tree athletes. Instead of ‘triathletes’ I call them ‘tree athletes,’ because you not only have to understand the physiology and biology of the tree, but you also have to be athletic to get to work.”

To read more, check out WBAA’s article. For this year’s scores and more information on the competition, check out Indiana Arborist Association’s Tree Climbing Competition page.

Resources:
A Different Kind of Athlete: Competitive Tree Climbers Compete In Indiana Championship – WBAA
Tree Climbing Competition – Indiana Arborist Association
International Tree Climbing Championship – International Society of Arboriculture

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue Forestry & Natural Resources

Indiana has experienced extreme weather over the last couple of years. Extreme heat, draught, cold, winds, you name it, we’ve dealt with it. Most recently, through June and July, Indiana has experienced record-breaking rainfall and flooding. These weather conditions can make it difficult for our surroundings, but it can also cause a lot of stress on our trees.

Photo credit: Keith Robinson

Urban trees are more susceptible to weather-related injury because of their oftentimes compromised root systems. In forested areas, trees spread their roots out two to three times the length of the tree. This is important because roots are the tree’s way to receive oxygen from the soil. This provides for a healthy defense system, giving the tree advantages like the ability to draw in moisture during dry spells and secrete fungi- and insect-repelling chemicals. In urban areas, roads and construction oftentimes sever roots or restrict where they can go, leaving the trees in a vulnerable state.

Our vulnerable urban trees are especially likely to be harmed by weather-induced stress. Symptoms like browning of leaves, dying branches and early coloration in the fall are all signs that a tree’s health is declining.

Keep an eye on your trees, and if you are concerned, use the Purdue Tree Doctor app​ or submit a sample to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab as you seek best practices to care and protect your trees.

Resources
Purdue Experts: Tree Deaths Across Indiana May be Related to Weather Stress, Purdue Agriculture News
Drought? Don’t forget the trees! The Education Store, Purdue Resource Center
Plan Today For Tomorrow’s Flood, The Education Store
Community & Urban Forestry, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
The Root of the Problem, Northern Woodlands

Purdue University Agriculture News

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Department of Natural Resources, Purdue University

B. Rosie Lerner, Extension Consumer Horticulture Architecture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University​

​

Tree-of-heaven seedling

​Invasive plant species threaten many habitats including forests across Indiana. The introduced Asian tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is one of these aggressive and troublesome invaders. Tree-of-heaven grows very quickly on a wide variety of sites from seed and sprouts and can rapidly out-compete native trees and shrubs. There are areas in Indiana forests already dominated by this unwelcome invader. Controlling large infestations of this tree can be very expensive and even dangerous. The sap and wet sawdust of this tree can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.

There is some hope on the horizon. Research work done by the U.S. Forest Service and universities in Pennsylvania and Ohio has identified a fungus that can kill tree-of-heaven and has minimal or no impact on surrounding plants. Verticillium nonalfalfae or Ailanthus verticillium wilt is a soil fungus that has been identified so far in Pennsylvania and Ohio that can rapidly kill large patches of tree-of-heaven. Tests with this naturally occurring soil fungus have shown it to be very effective at killing tree-of-heaven without having significant impacts on surrounding native plants.

This naturally-occurring killer of tree-of-heaven could be an important tool in managing this invasive problem in Indiana. The quickest way to get started with natural bio-control of tree-of-heaven is to locate the fungus here in Indiana. Citizens and resource professionals can help us locate ailanthus verticillium wilt by identifying patches of tree-of-heaven that are being impacted by the fungus. This requires familiarity with the identification of both tree-of-heaven and the symptoms of the wilt disease on the tree.

Close-up of the “teeth” on the leaves of tree-of-heaven

Tree of Heaven has long, compound leaves resembling sumac or black walnut but possessing small notches or teeth at the base of the leaflets. The plant parts have a very unpleasant burnt nut odor when crushed or bruised. The bark is smooth and grey with light grey or white fissures running vertically in the bark. Twigs are very stout with a light tan spongy pith in the center.

Ailanthus wilt causes rapid death of the tree, often within one season, so look for patches of tree-of-heaven where most trees are showing wilting foliage or are already dead. The mortality will often be radiating out from a central group of dead or dying trees. Trees with wilt will have a yellow to yellow-brown discoloration of the wood directly beneath the bark. Healthy tree-of-heaven will have nearly white wood under the bark. The mortality will almost always be groups of trees, not scattered individuals. Several resources are included below to help you identify tree-of-heaven and ailanthus wilt.

If you encounter what you think is ailanthus wilt in Indiana, please contact:
Lenny Farlee, Hardwood Ecosystem Extension Specialist
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources
Email: lfarlee@purdue.edu
Phone: 765-494-2153

Joanne Rebbeck, Plant Physiologist
USFS, Northern Research Station
Email: jrebbeck@fs.fed.us
Phone: 740-368-0054

Resources
Tree-of-heaven Images, Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Scientists Using Fungi to Stop an Invader​, The Columbus Dispatch
Verticillium nonalfalfae, USDA Forest Service
Invasive Species, Purdue Extension​
The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center (search “invasive”)

Lenny Farlee, Hardwood Ecosystem Extension Specialist
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University

Photo credit: Colin Hutton

An often overlooked part of the ecosystem responsible for our food and environmental health are the pollinators. This group of animals move pollen from flower to flower, fertilizing seeds, fruits and vegetables. Pollinators include honey bees, native bees, moths, beetles, birds and bats, and they are struggling. 40% of honey bee colonies have been lost in the last year, and in the past two decades, over 90% of Monarch butterflies have disappeared.

After noticing this sharp decline, large efforts are starting to take place to restore the pollinator population. The Pollinator Partnership has created a Pollinator Week every year from June 15-21 where the pollinator’s importance is highlighted through local events. The White House has announced a National Strategy to Promote Pollinator Health in hopes to return the pollinator population to a sustainable level. In Norway, a connected network of honeybee habitats dubbed the Bee Highway was created. At the large scale, many initiatives are starting to form, but it is important to know that we can also be helpful on an individual level.

Our gardens and landscapes are the homes of many pollinators, providing the food, water and shelter that they need. When planting a garden or landscape, it is important to take this into consideration and follow a few simple guidelines. For an adequate food supply, aim for at least three flower species in bloom at a time. For shelter, pollinators can benefit from a break from the wind and sun provided by plants, fences and other structures. Finally, pesticides should be limited and used in a controlled way. Pick spray instead of dust-based pesticide. Try to use it only when necessary, follow all label directions and spray only in the early morning or at dusk when pollinators are less active. Keep these guidelines in mind, and your garden or landscape will be an attractive home for pollinators!

For more information, please check out the June column of Purdue Yard & Garden News.

Resources
Gardening for Pollinators, Purdue Yard & Garden News
News Columns & Podcasts, Purdue Agriculture
How to Minimize Pesticide Damage of Honey Bees, The Education Store
Honey Bees, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Pollinator Partnership

B. Rosie Lerner
Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Purdue Extension

Photo credit: Pedro Tenorio-Lezama, Bugwood.org

Made infamous through the trial of Socrates, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth, and several other works of classic literature, poison hemlock is an extremely toxic plant that will pose a risk this summer and should be handled with caution.

Poison hemlock is a biennial plant, meaning that it has a two year lifespan. Last summer, it went through vegetative growth and largely stayed out of sight. This summer, it will produce small white clusters of flowers and will be more likely to catch the attention of animals and people. Poison hemlock is a member of the parsley family and can sometimes be confused with wild carrot. However, its distinguishing feature is its hairless hollow stalks with purple blotches. If you see these, be careful!

The biggest risk with poison hemlock is ingestion. Lethal doses are fairly small, so it is important for animal owners or parents of young children to identify it in their area and remove it if possible. The toxins can also be absorbed through the skin and lungs, so be sure to wear gloves and a mask when handling these plants.

Symptoms of hemlock poisoning include dilation of the pupils, weakening or slowing pulse, blue coloration around the mouth and eventually paralysis of the central nervous system and muscles leading to death. Quick treatment can reverse the effects, so act quickly.

Resources
Invasive Plant Species Fact Sheets: Poison Hemlock, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Recognizing and Managing Poison Hemlock, Purdue Landscape Report
Poison Hemlock, Pest & Crop Newsletter, Purdue Extension – Entomology
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: Distribution Update, Purdue Landscape Report
What are Invasive Species and Why Should I Care?, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Report INvasive, Purdue Extension & Indiana Invasive Species Council
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Purdue Extension

Photo: Tom Campbell

Mushrooms are strange forms of life. Some can kill you within hours, some are psychedelic hallucinogens and others are just good on a pizza. There are estimated to be six to 20 times more species of fungi than plants, and a lot of them are still shrouded in mystery. Since the time of Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s, we have been searching for answers in the fungi kingdom, and recently, we just found a big one in the shape of an evolutionary mapping dubbed the “tree of life.”

Using collections of preserved fungal specimens called fungaria from Purdue’s Arthur Fungarium and Kew’s Fungarium in the Royal Botanic Gardens, two of the biggest and most important fungi collections in the world, mycologists like Catherine Aime were able to study well over 100 years’ worth of preserved specimens and apply modern DNA technology to piece together genomes and discover new connections linking mushroom species. This “tree of life” is the clearest and most comprehensive mapping to date of the evolutionary history of fungi.

Aime says that this study reinforces the importance of fungaria as we advance in the genomic age. These extensive collections are priceless, containing specimens as far back as some from Darwin himself, and documenting hundreds of thousands of species throughout the years. Some of these species might not exist in the future, and it is essential that we document and preserve them as we learn new ways to use them in the future.

The research paper documenting this ‘tree of life’ was published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society​ and is available for journal subscribers and readers at Purdue.

Read the full article.

Resources
DNA Samples From Purdue, Kew Fungi Collections Provide Key to Mushroom ‘Tree of Life’, Purdue Extension
Arthur Fungarium, Purdue Herbaria
Kew’s Fungarium, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
Aime Lab, Purdue University Department of Botany and Plant Pathology
Fungi – In a Kingdom All By Themselves, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Natalie van Hoose, Research News Writer
Purdue Extension​

​Historically, forests dominated the land of Indiana, covering about 85% of Indiana prior to European contact and settlement. However, now less than 25% of our forested areas remain—and more than 85% of those areas are privately owned.

Urban woodlots are steadily in decline, both in number and size. The development of businesses and residential areas, highway construction and expansion and increases in cropland are all causes of destruction and reduction of these woodlots. When privately owned woodlots drop below 10 acres in size, they receive much less support and can’t qualify for the Classified Forest and Wildlands program through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, forcing their owners to manage them on their own.

Owners of woodlots of all sizes can help protect and improve them with good management and stewardship practices. Adding trees and other plant life, taking care of diseases and other pests and harvesting products when needed are all great steps towards urban woodlot preservation.

The benefits of urban woodlots don’t just help their owners but the entire community around them. Forested areas reduce the impact of rainfall on land, decreasing flooding, erosion and the removal of topsoil. The quality of water is improved as sediment and pollutants are filtered out. Soil is added as plants decay. Air is improved as plants soak in carbon dioxide and other unwanted chemicals. Trees provide shade and reduce wind speed, reducing the need for burning fuel. And of course, woodlots provide habitats that many animals depend on.

Urban woodlots really are crucial for our environment. As it decreases around us, it is important that we know what we can do to protect and improve what we have left. Owners of private urban woodlots must stay informed to keep their property not only beneficial to them economically, but beneficial to our society as a whole.

For more information, view the free publication download titled Indiana’s Urban Woodlots.

Resources
Indiana’s Urban Woodlots, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Urban Forestry – Got Nature?, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University
The Indiana Woodlot Owner Series, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Indiana Arborist Association (IAA)

Lindsey Purcell, Chapter Executive Director
Indiana Arborist Association