Lovett Gary M, Arthur Mary A, Weathers Kathleen C, Griffin Jacob M
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2013 Sep;1298:66-77. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12215. Epub 2013 Jul 11.
Repeated invasions of non-native insects and pathogens have altered the structure and function of forest ecosystems in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, and will continue to do so in the future. Gypsy moth, beech bark disease, and hemlock woolly adelgid are among the insects and diseases currently established in the Catskills that are having significant effects on forests. Many others, including emerald ash borer, Asian long-horned beetle, Phytophthora ramorum, and Sirex wood wasp, are either very recently established in the Catskills or have been found elsewhere in North America and threaten to spread to this region. Short-term disturbances associated with these pests include reduction of productivity, tree decline and mortality, disruption of nutrient cycles, and reduction of seed production. Longer-term impacts are associated with shifts in tree species composition that alter productivity, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. Catskill forests at mid to high elevations, such as the New York State Forest Preserve lands, are dominated by sugar maple and are particularly vulnerable to pests that use maple as a host, including the Asian long-horned beetle. The simultaneous effects of multiple invading insects and pathogens, and their interactions with changing climate and air pollution regimes, make it very difficult to predict the future composition of Catskill forests.
非本土昆虫和病原体的反复入侵改变了纽约州卡茨基尔山脉森林生态系统的结构和功能，且未来仍将继续。舞毒蛾、山毛榉树皮病和铁杉球蚜等是目前已在卡茨基尔地区定殖的对森林有重大影响的昆虫和病害。许多其他物种，包括翡翠灰螟、亚洲长角天牛、栎树猝死病菌和西花蓟马，要么最近才在卡茨基尔地区定殖，要么已在北美其他地方被发现，并有可能扩散到该地区。与这些害虫相关的短期干扰包括生产力下降、树木衰退和死亡、营养循环中断以及种子产量减少。长期影响则与树种组成的变化有关，这会改变生产力、营养循环和生物多样性。中高海拔的卡茨基尔森林，如纽约州森林保护区的土地，以糖枫为主，特别容易受到以枫树为寄主的害虫的侵害，包括亚洲长角天牛。多种入侵昆虫和病原体的同时影响，以及它们与气候变化和空气污染状况的相互作用，使得很难预测卡茨基尔森林未来的组成。
