Invasive Plants, Forest Migration, and the Threat to Black Ash Trees

Rapid temperature and precipitation changes are not the only factors affecting forests. Invasive plants and pests are also causing significant changes. Dr. William Livingston has observed the impact of invasive plants on Maine's forests for 35 years, which has had a greater effect than shifts in native trees. Jesse Wheeler and his colleagues are working to predict which trees will lose habitat and how to manage invasives. The emerald ash borer poses a threat to black ash trees, which are important both ecologically and culturally. The borers are expected to kill the majority of ash trees in North America.