Post by admin on Jul 4, 2014 8:14:46 GMT 8
Beetle infestation threatening John Hay pine trees
Zaldy Comanda
June 1, 2014
Baguio City — Pesky beetles are threatening the pine-studded landscape of Camp John Hay.
Sixty-five Benguet pine trees have died so far, and need to be felled to prevent the spread of the disease, no thanks to a beetle infestation. More than 200,000 need to be protected.
Alberto Banatao, environment manager John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC), said seven plots now being studied by a forest pathologist and entomologist of the Benguet State University (BSU).
“We are waiting for the sanitation permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The DENR also did the inspection on the pine trees which have earlier died, so that we can cut them and burn their barks, where we believe the ips are thriving,” Banatao said.
The JHMC-BSU team identified as the pests four bark beetles–Ips grandicollis, Ips calligraphus, Dendroctonus terebrans, dendroctonus frontalis. The other species have yet to be identified.
Banatao added that their “on-going study is good,” as it will help them, in this early stage “find solutions on how to stop the insects. This will not only benefit the trees inside John Hay, but those that abound the entire Cordillera.”
John Hay, a former U.S. military rest and recreation facility, also has a number of fledgling pine seedlings which are planted in different areas within the reservation to maintain the forest cover of the camp.
Banatao reported that on July 18, 2013, they were able to secure a permit from DENR to cut 136 dead pine trees, of which some were killed by insects. Of the number, they were able to implement the cutting of only 59 pine trees, while the 77 will be cut as soon as they get an extension of the July 2013 sanitation permit.
Banatao said he aims to protect and preserve all the trees inside the reservation. All trees within the facility, he explained are accounted and registered with the DENR.
Source: www.mb.com.ph/beetle-infestation-threatening-john-hay-pine-trees/
Zaldy Comanda
June 1, 2014
Baguio City — Pesky beetles are threatening the pine-studded landscape of Camp John Hay.
Sixty-five Benguet pine trees have died so far, and need to be felled to prevent the spread of the disease, no thanks to a beetle infestation. More than 200,000 need to be protected.
Alberto Banatao, environment manager John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC), said seven plots now being studied by a forest pathologist and entomologist of the Benguet State University (BSU).
“We are waiting for the sanitation permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The DENR also did the inspection on the pine trees which have earlier died, so that we can cut them and burn their barks, where we believe the ips are thriving,” Banatao said.
The JHMC-BSU team identified as the pests four bark beetles–Ips grandicollis, Ips calligraphus, Dendroctonus terebrans, dendroctonus frontalis. The other species have yet to be identified.
Banatao added that their “on-going study is good,” as it will help them, in this early stage “find solutions on how to stop the insects. This will not only benefit the trees inside John Hay, but those that abound the entire Cordillera.”
John Hay, a former U.S. military rest and recreation facility, also has a number of fledgling pine seedlings which are planted in different areas within the reservation to maintain the forest cover of the camp.
Banatao reported that on July 18, 2013, they were able to secure a permit from DENR to cut 136 dead pine trees, of which some were killed by insects. Of the number, they were able to implement the cutting of only 59 pine trees, while the 77 will be cut as soon as they get an extension of the July 2013 sanitation permit.
Banatao said he aims to protect and preserve all the trees inside the reservation. All trees within the facility, he explained are accounted and registered with the DENR.
Source: www.mb.com.ph/beetle-infestation-threatening-john-hay-pine-trees/