Research

Forest Health Annual Report Hot Off The Presses

Posted on by akabelowsky
The cover of the 2025 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Annual Report.

The cover of the 2025 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Annual Report. / Graphic Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has made its 2025 Forest Health Annual Report ready to view and download.

This year’s edition contains 55 pages of reporting on forest health issues throughout Wisconsin, detailing methods employed by the DNR and other agencies to control pests, diseases and invasive plants.

Continue reading “Forest Health Annual Report Hot Off The Presses” →

Upcoming Trainings

Posted on by janness

*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

See below for information on training topics and events, including ISA certification exam preparation, plant propagation, winter tree identification, urban forest restoration, research trends and electrical hazards. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings” →

Go-To Online Resources For Urban Forestry

Posted on by janness

By Allen Pyle, UW-Extension Horticulture Outreach Specialist and Jay Dampier, DNR IRA Grant Coordinator, Jason.Dampier@wisconsin.gov or 920-765-1935

Reliable and up-to-date research-based information is vital for tree care professionals and urban foresters to make sound, scientific management decisions. To make trusted resources more accessible, UW-Extension’s Horticulture Program and Wisconsin DNR’s Urban Forestry Program have developed this curated selection of useful webpages with free information and resources for urban forestry professionals and community tree managers. Continue reading “Go-To Online Resources For Urban Forestry” →

Upcoming Trainings

Posted on by janness

*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

See below for information on training topics and events, including urban wood, invasive species, tree rot and decay, beech leaf disease, connecting people to urban forestry and research presentations on pruning regimens, tree science and solar power. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings” →

Biophilic Design & Urban Wood

Posted on by janness

By Dwayne Sperber, Wudeward Urban Forest Products

Trees grow, change and like all living things, eventually decline or die. Sometimes trees are removed from urban areas due to safety concerns, tree health or insufficient space. But when these urban and community trees are viewed not as waste, but as a valuable material resource, their story doesn’t end – it continues.

By transforming fallen trees into urban wood products, we can extend the benefits of living trees into the places we live, work and play. These materials – lumber, furniture, architectural woodwork – quietly connect us to nature. This is the basis of biophilic design, the concept of connecting humans to the natural environment.

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Wisconsin’s Mass Timber Future: Building Strength From Forest To Facility

Posted on by akabelowsky

Various panels of cross-laminated timber awaits a return trip to Madison, Wisconsin, for testing at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Ram Dahal, DNR Forest Economist, Madison;
Ram.Dahal@wisconsin.gov

A recent study conducted by Michigan State University and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources highlights Wisconsin’s strong potentiality to locate mass timber industry in the state, leveraging its abundant forest resources, existing forest products infrastructure and growing market demand.

Continue reading “Wisconsin’s Mass Timber Future: Building Strength From Forest To Facility” →

Trees And Insurance Survey

Posted on by janness

2 men assessing an ash treeThe Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS) Industry Trends committee – charged with monitoring the issues impacting your work – is seeking information on your experiences with insurance companies and urban tree canopy. There is growing evidence that insurance companies are directing the pruning or removal of trees, and the committee wants to fully understand the issue. Your responses to the survey below will help compile stories and evidence so that UCFS can work with industry partners and draft position statements. Continue reading “Trees And Insurance Survey” →

Upcoming Trainings

Posted on by janness

group of people listening to a speaker in the woods*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

See below for information on training topics, including biochar, advanced arboriculture, selecting resilient tree species, The National Urban Tree Canopy Application, invasive species, wildlife and educational resources. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings” →

Winsome Fly Biocontrol Slows Japanese Beetle

Posted on by akabelowsky
A closeup photo showing Winsome fly eggs on three Japanese beetles, including a mating pair with a female Japanese beetle below the male.

Winsome fly eggs are found on three Japanese beetles, including a mating pair (with a female Japanese beetle shown below the male). One or more eggs are laid on each beetle; eggs are nearly always laid just behind the head. The Winsome fly prefers to lay eggs on female Japanese beetles. / Photo Credit: Jacques Lasnier, Quebec, Bugwood.org

By Bill Hutchison, Department of Entomology
University of Minnesota
Hutch002@umn.edu

The Winsome fly (Istocheta aldrichi (Mesnil)), part of the Tachinidae family, is a parasitoid of the invasive pest Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica).

A parasitoid is an insect whose larvae develop in or within a host insect of a different species, eventually killing it.

The Winsome fly was introduced in 1923 in New Jersey as a biological control agent of the Japanese beetle, six years after the Japanese beetle was accidentally introduced in the United States. Since then, the Winsome fly has become established in the Northeastern states and Quebec and Ontario in Canada.

Continue reading “Winsome Fly Biocontrol Slows Japanese Beetle” →

Survey: Likelihood Of Included Bark Failure

Posted on by janness

Are you an arborist or urban forester who conducts tree risk assessments?

Researchers from the Universities of Toronto, Florida and Wisconsin-Stevens Point are researching how arborists perceive the likelihood of failure of included bark. They’ve put together a survey with scenarios and photos and are looking for tree care professionals to rate the likelihood of failure. As an incentive, there will be a drawing for one of ten $100 gift cards to an arborist supply store. Continue reading “Survey: Likelihood Of Included Bark Failure” →