Rating Eucalyptus vigor and the risk of insect infestation: leaf surface area and sapwood:heartwood ratio

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Abstract
Phoracanthasemipunctata (Fab.) colonizes and kills stressed Eucalyptus spp. in both managed and unmanaged stands in southern California. Stressed trees frequently manifest thinner crowns, with less foliage surface area, than more vigorous trees. This is reflected in reduced conducting sapwood and a lower sapwood:heartwood ratio. Four species of Eucalyptus at four sites were examined, and correlation analyses of leaf surface area to sapwood area were conducted. Using E. cladocalyx as a model, trees in a stand suffering high tree mortality showed significantly lower sapwood:heartwood ratios than trees in stands with beetle activity restricted to dead limbs but evincing little tree mortality. This index could be utilized to identify high-risk stands for implementation of silvicultural management practices.

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