Implications for invasion by emerald ash borer in New York: Ash abundance in riparian areas and moth assemblages in upland and wetland forests with high and low ash densities

As emerald ash borer, an invasive alien beetle, threatens the ash resource and health of deciduous forests in New York, research elucidating the ecology of these habitats is prudent. The research presented herein describes the tree composition of riparian forests along five rivers in New York, and moth assemblages in different habitats and ash densities in central New York forests. Ash was an important component of riparian forests in three of the five rivers studied. Green ash was correlated with stands with the highest presence of invasive plants. Several moth assemblages varied in abundance between the three trap sessions. Moth assemblages were not significantly different between high and low ash density stands, however evidence of habitat (i.e. wetland vs. upland) as a predictor of moth assemblages resulted from ordination. Among a variety of other stand and habitat variables, vertical complexity was the most highly correlated with moth abundance.