Oaks ‘n Folks – Volume 15, Issue 1 – March 2000
The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) awarded $47,000 in temporary funds to the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program (IHRMP) to address the widespread concerns arising from unexplained mortality of tanoak and coast live oak in coastal counties in the state. The IHRMP has put together a team of faculty, and Cooperative Extension (CE) specialists and advisors to develop a study plan to determine the source of the mortality, assess its spatial extent, and to develop appropriate outreach tools. Forest Management Specialist, and UCB College of Natural Resources Associate Dean for Forestry, Rick Standiford, is coordinating this effort. A post-doctoral researcher, Dr. Brice McPherson, working with Professors Dave Wood (of U.C. Berkeley Division of Insect Biology) and Tom Gordon (of U.C. Davis Department of Plant Pathology) will focus on the insect/disease mechanisms of this mortality complex. Extension Natural Resource Monitoring and Assessment Specialist Maggi Kelly is developing a monitoring strategy. Pavel Svirha (UC Horticulture Advisor – Marin and Sonoma Co.) and Steve Tjosvold (UC Advisor – Santa Cruz and Monterey Co.) provide local access to field sites, assist in research design, and take the lead in extension outreach to local-based audiences. This research and extension team meets regularly to define the appropriate monitoring approach, as well as the basic data collection procedures and plot design for field assessments of the insect-pathogen complex. This research and extension team is in the process of seeking additional funding to broaden the scope of the ecological and monitoring study. Results will be publicized through future issues of Oaks ‘n Folks, as well as on the IHRMP web site (http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp).
prepared and edited by Richard B. Standiford, Justin Vreeland, Bill Tietje