Degradation of White Birch Shelterbelts by the Attack of White-Spotted Longicorn Beetles in Central Hokkaido, Northern Japan

Abstract

A widespread decline of white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) shelterbelts was observed in central Hokkaido, Japan. Many exit holes bored by white-spotted longicorn beetles (Anoplophora malasiaca) were found at the base of the trunks of trees in these stands. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of infestation on the degradation, and demonstrates whether the number of exit holes (Nholes) can be used as an index of the decline of trees. We selected 35 healthy appearing stands and 16 degraded stands in the study area. A generalized linear mixed model with zero inflation revealed that Nholes of standing dead trees tended to be greater than that of living trees, and the tree vigor decreased with increasing Nholes. These results implied that the degradation of the shelterbelts was caused by the beetle. We also found size-dependent mortality, i.e., only a few larvae can cause the death of smaller trees, but not larger trees. Furthermore, evaluation of the degradation at the stand level (Nholes) using a logistic regression analysis revealed that the degradation at the stand level could be predicted by Nholes. Our findings can be used as a useful index marker for diagnosing white birch shelterbelts.