Speaker: Mike Raupp, Ph. D., University of Maryland
Factors of the abiotic, non-living world and those of the biotic, living world act individually or in concert to imperil the health and beauty of woody plants in landscapes. Designing a therapy to restore plant health requires an accurate diagnosis of what the problem is and elucidation of factors contributing to the problem. Using a variety of case studies of native and non-native pests, this interactive presentation will present a methodology for diagnosing causes of tree decline and provide solutions to improve plant health and appearance. While the emphasis will be on problems caused by insect pests, problems associated with pathogens and abiotic factors will also be discussed.