Graphic: Mankato's Ashes

This graphic is from the City of Mankato. It marks a boulevard ash tree with a green line. All the green lines are placed on a map of Mankato's streets and buildings. In total there are about 2,400 green lines on this map. Note that this does not account for all the trees in the city—just the boulevard ash trees, which the city has planted. The amount of ashes planted on private property and public parks is certain to be 5 or 10 times the amount on the boulevards.  

Of course, the map is hard to read. The lines create a green tint to the map from a distance. Close up, it is hard to tell where the trees are, especially when the street runs parallel to the direction of the line markers. 


The density of monoculture planting is evident in a closeup of Balcerzak, seen below.

That's a lot of ash trees! The lines make this seem more like a computer score card than an information graphic though. Another representation, made from the same source of information, from the Mankato Free Press looks much better because it maintains a stronger figure-ground contrast and it "tames the grid" as Edward R. Tufte would say.

Book: History of Media and the Environment, pre 1960

Neuzil, Mark, and William Kovarkik. 1996. Mass Media & Environmental Conflict: America’s Green Crusades. Sage Publications, Inc: Thousand Oaks, California.

I found Neuzil’s book in the MSU library yesterday, along with another one which I’ll write about later. I didn’t realize they were both written by the same guy until I had brought them home. The author must be a journalism professor who works in green media.

Books on the topics of environment and mass media will help my research because they will provide background on how the public has and does receive messages. This book also has a chapter about trees called “The Media and Social Change: I. Mother of the Forest.” I’ll have to wait to read that until winter break. Right now I have deadlines for this prospectus looming (tomorrow night) and many papers to grade.

In the introduction to his book, Neuzil says it is about “environmental conflict and the mass media in American history before the 1960s” (xi). I appreciate this because there is much written about the post-‘60s environmental movement. He mentions the explosion of interest in the environment at that time was a result of several leading factors built up over time (from the 1850s to the 1960s). But several current statistics he states could benefit my research as well.

Neuzil mentions that by 1988, 7 million people were involved in an organization benefiting the environment (ix) and cites Udall, 1988. I could find out the population of the US at that time and create a percentage of the population involved. After that, I could find a current estimate and generate a percentage. I could then create a chart or graph to represent the difference from 20 years. Such a graph could help me estimate the percentage of the population who would be willing to pay for remediation for their trees in the Mankato area.

Later in the intro, Neuzil describes a theory of social control by Denis McQuail. The theory provides three ways to view media. One is the media as supporting important community values because of audience pressure. A more neutral way is that the media “supports the status quo” because of converging business and social pressure. A stronger view is that the media are a tool used to suppress the masses. However, Neuzil does mention that many scholars don’t believe the media moves any social change (xii). Then he gets into social theory and why people value certain things as opposed to others.

I’m excited to read more in this work.

Article: A New Exotic Pest

Hacket, Robert A.,  Eduard Jendek, Houping Liu, Kenneth R. Marchant, Toby R. Petrice, Therese M. Poland, and Hui Ye. 2002. "The emerald ash borer: a new exotic forest pest in North America." Newsletter. Michigan Entomology Society: (47) 3&4. September.


This newsletter brought some bad news to the United States. The authors, collaborators from America, Canada, Slovakia, and China, worked together to identify a new insect found in Michigan in June of 2002. When researchers observed some ash trees were declining, they noticed the "D"-shaped holes in the bark and the cambium-killing larvae tunnels. 


Quickly identifying the beetle was not possible. There are more than 2,000 species in the Agrilus family, so it wasn't until July 9th, when the specimens where shipped to Eduard Jendek, a specialist in Asian Agrilus, that the bug was positively identified at Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (2). Shortly after, the Michigan Department of Agriculture started enforcing quarantines in infested counties. Meanwhile, Canadian authorities had found a similar beetle, it wasn't until August 7th that it too was confirmed as the same insect (2). At this point, researchers estimated the insect had been established for five years (4)!!!


This article provided great insight on the process of determining a new species in an environment. When an animal breaks through to a new boundary or region, it can easily be identified. Not so with small insects who come from wide families and get carried on shipping containers. 


When the insect was identified, the researches took votes on what to call it. They wanted to make sure the media didn't name the insect (1). Oregon Department of Agriculture's Richard Wescott and Natalia Vandenburg of the USDA suggested the name Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Votes were tallied and a new acronym was born (1). 


The taxonomy section mentioned that the beetle goes by other names as well.  

Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (1888; type China) has several synonyms, including A. marcopoli Obenberger (1930; type China), A. marcopoli ulmi Kurosawa (1956; type Japan), and A. feretrius Obenberger (1936; type Taiwan) (Jendek 1994).  EAB is referred to as A. marcopoli in much of the Chinese literature and as A. marcopoli ulmi in Japan.  Based on the morphology of the scutellum, deep pronotal medial sulcus, and robust body, A. planipennis appears most closely related to the Asian species A. auristermum Obenberger, A. cyaneoniger Saunders, and A. lubopetri Jendek (2).

I didn't know this was allowed in the world of entomology—it certainly makes things confusing. But I can understand why it would be very difficult to streamline names across cultures, especially when one culture has completely adapted a name. I wonder then, do other countries refer to EAB by these other names still? Or has the new concern in the West changed the way people refer to it? I looked at Eduard Jendek's website later and found nearly 100 varieties of insects named after him.


EAB, though new, is not alone as an foreign Agrilus. The authors list six other exotic members of the Agrilus family established in the United States (4).


The native habitat is described as Northeastern China, Far Eastern Russia, and Taiwan. The authors say only two Asian research articles were found on the bug, one from 1986, one from 1992 (2). Hacket, et al. provide a synopsis of these studies and describe other upcoming studies from Michigan (2). Significant early timetables provide a step-by-step retelling of the early infestation and where the beetles in the same family had been found at points of entry, although it was implied the ships were from China and Japan, the authors show it needed more study (4).


To conclude, the authors warn readers with a level-headed use of emotional language. Resources are said to be "at risk," because the wherever the insect moved, it "successfully attacked." The result could be "considerable economic and environmental damage." Therefore, "A vigorous research and management program along with harmonized quarantine actions are urgently needed to contain this new exotic tree pest" (5). 

Article: Insect Invasions and Management

Brockerhoff, Eckehard G., Andrew M. Liebhold, and Herve Jactel. 2006. "The ecology of forest insect invasions and advances in their management." Canadian Journal of Forestry Research. Vol. 36. 2006. 263-268.


The authors wrote this paper to "enhance the sharing of information" between scientists studying invasive species management (Brockerhoff 2006, 263). It was originally presented at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations Conference on Forest Diversity and Resistance to Native and Exotic Pest Insects in New Zealand. 


I found this paper to be a good culmination of four specific areas of research. The theme of management relates to my research because management demonstrates the need for agencies to present consistent information internally and to the public. Management cannot progress on this issue without consistent information.


The authors, from New Zealand, Morgantown, WV, and France, respectively, share information about four subjects relevant to invasive species management

1. The role of global trade; 
2. biogeographical effects; 
3. biodiversity; 
4. and advances in "detection, monitoring, and management of invasive species and native pests" (264).

Although this report mentions several different insects, the authors describe the emerald ash borer along with the Asian long horned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, the great spruce bark beetle, Dendroctonus micans, and the red turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus valens, as cases receiving "much attention because they represent a significant threat to the health of forests and urban trees" (264). They cite an early study done by Haack et al. in 2002, which I will read soon. The rest of the report maintains a macro-view to all the problems of invasive species.


The research done on the role of global trade in invasive species movement shows a need for government action. Studies prove a relationship between "interception frequency and probability of establishment" (264). It also shows a need for more research from the agencies responsible for inspecting shipping containers (264).


Biogeography is the study of plant distribution, such as how forests move over time, and where nurseries develop new plant stocks. Phylogeny deals with the development and diversification of different animals or insects. These two areas of study interweave when researching pests in forests. Research has found that invasive bugs spread for these three reasons:

1. The plants lack a natural defense;
2. few or no natural enemies exist;
3. few or no natural competitors exist (265).

However, the factors leading to the phylogenic introduction of the invasive species can be complex and closely related to the movement of plant species by human benefactors. The authors note, "a reliance on exotic trees in forestry increases the need to exclude pest introductions" (265). 

I imagine this can be a revolving problem. Invasive species prey on native trees and kill them, so new species are introduced, but with them come other invasive species. I'll bet large nurseries have to tackle this problem every year.

Although I have always heard that diversified forests (and urban forests) are less susceptible to invasive species, the authors show that only some research finds this to be true. In other research (from Jactel et al. 2005), some "mixed forests have greater levels of attack than forests with less tree species richness" (265). However, they don't offer too many citations for this information. They agree that many cases exist showing the opposite. In the end, they call for more research (266).

DNA testing and pheromone traps provide two new methods for detecting invasive species. The DNA testing showed 100 percent accuracy in tests (Ball and Armstrong 2006)! Inspectors can sample any part of insect or larvae to find a match and identify a pest. However, a full database needs establishing first. This could be a "standardized tool for biosecurity managers around the world" (266). Pheromone traps prove successful, but studies have shown need for caution when interpreting the data because the number caught does not always relate to the population quantity in the area (Bentz 2006). Other control studies include the simple introduction of a native predator or fungus and confusing the pests by spraying sex pheromones (266).

The authors do note that an "eradication campaign" was "successful" in com patting two pests in New Zealand. The campaign incorporated trapping, spraying a fungus, and releasing sterilized males (267). I wonder what they mean by successful though. Is it a manageable amount of pests or did they eradicate them?

The authors conclude by noting these three things:

1. Invasions will only increase with increased trade;
2. Increased communication will be needed between agencies and scientists; 
3. While some programs to decrease established pests can work, the "primary goal" should be a reduction of the pests becoming established in non-native environments (267). In other words, stop them on the ships!

Other Works Cited

Ball and Armstrong. 2006. "A universal DNA-based identification system for insect pests: a test case with the Lymantriidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Journal of Forestry Research.

Bentz. 2006. "Mountain Pine Beetle population sampling: inferences from Lindgren pheromone traps and tree emergence cages." Canadian Journal of Forestry Research.

Other Work to Explore

Hacket et al. "The emerald ash borer: a new exotic forest pest in North America. Newsletter. Michigan Entomology Society (47)

Article: Personal and Professional Ethics

Seow, Ting Lee. 2011. "Conceptualizing ethical knowledge and knowledge transfer in public relations." Public Relations Review, Volume 37, Issue 1, March Pages 96-98, ISSN 0363-8111, 10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.11.003.

Lee Seow Ting of the University of Singapore conducted an email survey based on a Likert scale to determine how the public relations practitioners feel about the orientation of ethics and the best method teaching ethics. She emailed 1016 people and received 230 responses. She mentions this 34.5% as “acceptable considering the typically low response rates from public relations practitioners in academic survey (Lee 2011, 97).

Public relations practitioners responded in the survey to say that ethical practice is a trainable attribute. They cite case studies as the most successful tool for this training. Other strong methods listed were mentorship programs, workshops and seminars, and meeting with employees who broke ethical guidelines (Lee 2011, 98). Less than 50% of the study found the following methods to be helpful when teaching ethical guides: scholarly publications, email reminders, textbooks, and memos.

Lee summarizes two main findings from the study. The first comes from a majority of responses saying ethics are “a function of individual experiences such as personal values, family upbringing, religious values and personal experiences” (97). A majority believed that personal ethics create the professional ethics. The second comes from the majority of respondents who believed “ethical knowledge [was] a codifiable and communicable body of knowledge that could be transferred and shared in the workplace despite the origins of the knowledge in the individual realm of personal experiences and values” (98).

The author extrapolates that more emphasis should be made to teach ethics in environments such as case studies and meetings. The “active interaction” helps communicate this subject (98). Also, the approach to ethics should be viewed holistically, taking in the background of the employee, since so many felt their personal ethics directed their professional ethics (98).

This article seemed to be making a connection needed for many other studies. The author may have been motivated to connect certain practices to valid research. I say this because the article is so short and the author states, “this finding reinforces the importance of a holistic approach to ethics” (98), and cites an article.

One thing I didn’t understand in this article were mentions of tacit and explicit ethical knowledge (97). The author referred to The Tacit Dimension, a 1966 book authored by M. Polanyi. This seems to refer to a means of describing communication directions (internal, external, personal, public), but I would have to do more research to find out more about it.

The takeaway for my research is that personnel at agencies might base their professional ethics in their personal ethical stances. Therefore, if it was necessary to “water down” the truth in order to get the right public response, an employee might do it if their own ethical development permitted it and they had not been taught proper ethical boundaries in meetings and with case studies.

Government Doc: H.R. 3901

H.R. 3901. Bill from the House of Representatives. "Emerald Ash Borer Municipality Assistance Act of 2007."110th Congress. 1st Session. 18 October 2007.

Article: War

O'Brien, D., & Suszkiw, J. (2011). Waging war on a voracious pest: Efforts to contain the emerald ash borer.Agricultural Research, 59(4), 18-18-21. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.mnsu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/863358319?accountid=12259