Factors influencing efficacy of an area-wide pest management program in three urban forests

Managing exotic invasive pests like emerald ash borer can strain budgets and the capacity of cities to protect their urban forest. Area-wide management approaches, SLAM (SL.ow A.sh M.ortality), potentially trees at a greatly reduced cost. We tested this strategy in three forests Indiana by treating 40 % with insecticides. While approach overall mortality untreated trees, survivorship varied considerably between sites. was most successful (54 survival) where initially < 10 were moribund (canopy thinning > 30 %) all treated emamectin benzoate every two years. The less (38 site similar initial morbidity but 15 25 annual applications imidacloprid. In third site, 51 forest treated, only 23 survived. Overall survival declined 18–22 %, that not likely survive. Although many regained health end project, case for trees. Where successful, both white more survive than green Untreated sites when closer benzoate, those Our findings suggest its success is strongly influenced tree condition, species composition proximity