Economic risk analysis of the Bronze Birch Borer on the Thunder Bay campus of Lakehead University

Abstract

Urban forests serve many purposes to a city, from parks to street trees to crown cover in downtown cores. Trees in urban environments are more prone to stress and pathogen due to the environment in which they live. Birch trees specifically make up a percentage of the urban trees in Thunder Bay and are easily affected by the Bronze Birch Borer. The Bronze Birch borer is a small beetle that can kill the tree by creating galleries of eggs in the cambium. Each of these trees are associated with a value based on tree quality and location factors, as well as their yearly contributions. The research done for this paper will cover only the birch trees planted on the Lakehead University, to find the most cost-effective solution to the effects of the Bronze Birch Borer. 65 birch trees were inventoried with a total value of $103,954 and a combined yearly contribution value of $732.54. A cost analysis between full treatment, partial treatment, and no treatment management options was done for a 20-year management plan. The most cost-effective option proved to be the partial treatment option, and the most expensive being the no treatment option. No treatment was not only the most expensive due to the high price of tree and stump removal, but the value of the trees is also completely lost.