Diario del proyecto Alaska Forest Health Observations

Interested in learning more about ongoing spruce beetle research in Alaska? Dr. Jackson Audley, researcher with the U.S. Forest Service, will be joining us at 5pm on September 28th, 2022 to present his recent research into semiochemical repellants for spruce beetle in Alaska. Semiochemicals are chemical signals produced by animals or plants that affect the behavior of other organisms. Jackson and his colleagues with the U.S. Forest Service and Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection have been working to identify whether some of these compounds, such as those produced by non-host trees or by other species of bark beetles, may chemically camouflage spruce trees in a way that prevents the tree from being attacked and killed by spruce beetles. Join us to hear more about how Jackson evaluates spruce beetle response to semiochemicals in both Alaska and the Rocky Mountains.

This webinar is hosted by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Registration is free and open to the public. The webinar will be held virtually over Zoom, follow the link below to register for this virtual event: https://www.alaskasprucebeetle.org/upcoming-events/

Fall 2022 Alaska Biodiversity Bioblitz starts next week! All observations recorded between September 15-18 2022 will count toward the project, join the project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/fall-2022-alaska-biodiversity-challenge

Any of your observations made for the bioblitz that are also relevant to the Alaska Forest Health Observations project will be included in both!

Remember that it can be very helpful to include the host plant information when uploading insects or pathogens of trees and shrubs. Some fungi and insect larvae only live and grow on certain species of plants, so knowing which plant the organism is living on can help us identify it. An easy way to add host plant information to your post is to name the plant species in the notes section of your observation. If you don't know the species of plant that's ok, but adding the general group of plants can be helpful too! For example, if you know it's a spruce, but aren't sure which one, feel free to just put 'spruce'. If the tree bark is degraded and you're not sure if it's birch or aspen, but you know it's not a conifer species, you can designate the host as 'hardwood'. Notes about the tree species is very helpful for us, so we appreciate you including it! A more advanced way to add host information is to scroll down to the field on the lower right hand side of your observation labeled "Observation fields" (this field is located below "Annotations" and "Projects"). In the box, type and click on "Host Plant ID" and type in the species of plant!

Thank you for contributing your observations to iNaturalist!

Registration is open for the Alaska Invasive Species Workshop, held November 1-3 this year. There are both in-person and virtual registration options, with the in-person event being held in Anchorage this year. The workshop is a forum for discussing invasive species management activities within the state, offers expert presentations about emerging invasive species science and management issues, highlights outreach efforts, and offers training for new and experienced invasive species managers alike. The workshop typically draws 100 to 150 participants. For more information and to register visit the webpage at: https://alaskainvasives.org/?page_id=134

The US Forest Service will be filling several permanent seasonal positions in the Alaska Region through an Open Continuous Recruitment effort, including positions that support Forest Health Protection. These positions perform a variety of field, office, and laboratory tasks that support the mission of the Forest Service. Please share this information with anyone who may be interested!

Forest Health will be evaluating potential candidates from the two listings below. Please note the closing date of September 30, 2022. Other positions within the agency will be hired using the same vacancy announcements. Additional vacancy announcements for similar positions can be found at www.USAjobs.gov

1: Open to anyone who has lived or worked in or near the geographic boundaries of Southcentral or Southeast Alaska and has special knowledge or expertise concerning the cultural and/or resources of at least one of these areas: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/653199000

2: Open to the public: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/653197700

A webinar recording is available with more information and details about navigating the Forest Service hiring process and can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9309003/video/707052737

Interested in learning more about ongoing spruce beetle research in Alaska? Dr. Jackson Audley, researcher with the U.S. Forest Service, will be joining us at 5pm on September 28th, 2022 to present his recent research into semiochemical repellants for spruce beetle in Alaska. Semiochemicals are chemical signals produced by animals or plants that affect the behavior of other organisms. Jackson and his colleagues with the U.S. Forest Service and Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection have been working to identify whether some of these compounds, such as those produced by non-host trees or by other species of bark beetles, may chemically camouflage spruce trees in a way that prevents the tree from being attacked and killed by spruce beetles. Join us to hear more about how Jackson evaluates spruce beetle response to semiochemicals in both Alaska and the Rocky Mountains.

This webinar is hosted by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Registration is free and open to the public. The webinar will be held virtually over Zoom, follow the link below to register for this virtual event: https://www.alaskasprucebeetle.org/upcoming-events/