Eli5: what will happen to the emerald ash borders after they’ve killed all the ash trees in the US? Do they starve? Could you successfully plant ash trees after they’ve passed through your area?
In: Biology
The problem with the emerald ash borer is not the insect itself, but the environment that it is in. They are naturally found in Europe and cause little to no damage there, because the ecosystem evolved alongside them. The trees have defense mechanisms and the insects have predators that keep their numbers in check. Outside of this environment, they can grow and populate unchecked because there are no natural predators nor do the trees have natural defenses against them.
They are not strictly exclusive to ash trees and can inhabit other species, but they are drawn to ash. If the ash goes locally extinct, borer numbers will decline but not necessarily vanish.
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