This is some great news. Many of the conifer trees in the Smokies are adapted to withstand very cold temperatures. These insects are thriving under warmer conditions that last through winter where temps rarely sink below 0. However this deep freeze that occurred may help the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, as well as Ash trees by keeping the Emerald Ash Borer at bay by destroying a number of the invasive species. The Balsam Wooly Adelgid has destroyed a large number of Frasier Fir Trees, but deep freezes like this benefit the trees, and last fall was a excellent season for cone production from those trees. There maybe some light at the end of the tunnel, at least for a few years. While some hate the cold, some species in the Smokies need it to keep diseases and pathogens at bay.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 16:59:53 +0000
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