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THERE IS NO MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH

Next Scheduled Event:
April COVNA Meeting
7:00 p.m. Monday, April 20th
 Southwest Church of Christ
8900 Manchaca Rd.
(Rear Entrance)

Women's History Month

3/15-21 Chocolate Week
 

LAST CHANCE

If you act quickly, you may still join or renew your COVNA membership and be included in the neighborhood directory. Dues are $10 per year. An organization that provides a helpful email list, 2 free parties, and most importantly, a strong voice in preserving our neighborhood's integrity is worth supporting. If you have not joined this year, please consider doing so now. Click here to print the form and send it or take it to Hal's this week.
2009 COVNA BOARD
Vacant
Floyd Clark
Dan Anderson
Hal Ferguson
Doug Tabony
Doug DuBois
Floyd Clark
President
Vice President (282-8245)
Secretary (282-1932)
Treasurer (282-0601)
Newsletter (280-4080)
ANC Delegate (292-9323)
Past President (282-8245)
 

To join the COVNA Email List, click below and send an email
with your name(s) to Doug at
tabonyproductions@austin.rr.com
Now 100+ households strong!

Find out the latest neighborhood news and developments.
Receive recommendations for service providers.
 
OFFICERS STILL NEEDED

COVNA still has no President or Vice-President as of this month. A few dedicated members have represented all of us in the issues that affect our neighborhood in this fast growing area.
It is time for someone in the neighborhood to step up and continue the important work our former Presidents and VPs have done. If willing to serve, contact any officer listed on the front page of the newsletter.
River City Pest Control

Barkley Garner
282-2460
8704 Oak Ledge Dr, Austin TX 78748

Insect Control
Nuisance Animal Control
Advertise in the COVNA Newsletter
Only $10.00/month. Reaches over 400 homes & Online at COVNA.org
Email Doug Tabony at: tabonyproductions@austin.rr.com

STIMULUS WATCH

(Mostly quoted from the website)

StimulusWatch.org was built to help the new administration keep its pledge to invest stimulus money smartly, and to hold public officials to account for the taxpayer money they spend. We do this by allowing you, citizens around the country with local knowledge about the proposed "shovel-ready" projects in your city, to find, discuss and rate those projects. These projects are not part of the stimulus bill. They are candidates for funding by federal grant programs once the bill passes.

How can you contribute? Find a project that interests you, or about which you have special knowledge, and let us know what you think. Once you find a program, there are three things you can do: 1) vote on whether you believe the project is critical or not; 2) edit the project's description and points in favor or against, and 3) post a comment in the conversation about the project.

www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_city/Austin/TX lists the "shovel-ready" projects Austin submitted in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report. When you go to this site you can click on a project to read (and add to) its description. You can also discuss the project and vote on whether you believe it is critical or not.

The projects include money for the connection of Davis/Deer Lane across Brodie. and the connecting the two parts of Westgate. Both of these projects are listed as water projects. The many projects listed fall under the headings of Streets/Roads, Water, Airport, Energy, Public Safety, Schools, and Transit.

The total cost of all the projects submitted by Austin is $1,032,296,360
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TEXAS ONE CALL

We were ready to have the nursery plant a 30 gallon Chinquapin Oak and a 45 gallon Bur Oak to start the long process of replacing the two mature Hackberries we inherited that had self-destructed despite several rounds of pruning. We are also planting a smaller Mesquite, a fair-sized Texas Mountain Laurel, and a small Vitex ourselves. But nothing’s easy. We decided to have the Chinquapin planted where one of the Hackberries had been, necessitating removing the stump. We had set a date for the stump removal and planting when our son, Alan, reminded us that we have the Time Warner cable running near the stump.

A convenient way to schedule electric, phone, gas, and other underground obstacles to be marked so you can avoid them when you dig,. Texas One Call – 1-800 245-4545. Texas One Call System is a computerized notification center. It establishes a communication link between those who dig underground and those who operate underground facilities. You must call at least 48 hours before and no earlier than 14 days before excavating. I finally called late Monday morning as the stump removal and tree planting was scheduled for Wednesday. The cable/phone line marker came out early on Wednesday but by noon there was no sign of the Austin Energy marker. I called Texas One Call to find out that even though I had been given a Locate Request #, their responsibility stops at a computerized notification of the companies that potentially have lines buried in your yard. I had to call Austin Energy separately and they did put a high priority on my request and showed up in about an hour and a half. By then it was too late for workers to come out and I had to reschedule for next week.

There is also a number for Call Before You Dig, (800) 344-8377, but only electric cable, gas lines, water lines, and wastewater lines are covered. Both services are free. It would be wise to call at least three days ahead.


Bur Oak

Chinqupin Oak

Honey Mesquite

Click pictures to enlarge

 


Texas Mountain Laurel

Vitex

 


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OAK WILT

With spring comes the threat of oak wilt: New oak wilt infections are created when sap-feeding beetles carry oak wilt spores to fresh cuts or wounds on oaks. When these spores are introduced to the wound, a new oak wilt infection is created. To prevent this, the Texas Forest Service recommends to: 1) Avoid pruning or wounding oaks from February through June; 2) Immediately paint cuts or wounds on oaks, regardless of season.

Wounding includes but is not limited to: pruning, construction activities, animal damage, land clearing, lawnmower or string trimmer damage, and storm damage. Fresh wounds produce sap which in turn attract sap-feeding beetles; therefore apply paint to pruning cuts or other wounds immediately to prevent spore-carrying beetles from visiting your oak. Any type of paint will accomplish this task. Be careful, oak wilt is still active in our area. On Rustic Oak Lane, a large oak recently died of Oak Wilt.

Below is detailed information on Oak Wilt taken from material
prepared by the U.S. Forest Service
www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_oakwilt/toc.htm

Oak Wilt Hosts
Oaks can be organized into three main groups, based on leaf shape: red oaks, white oaks, and live oaks. Trees in the red oak group have fan-shaped leaves with sharply pointed tips; those in the white oak group have fan-shaped leaves with rounded or blunt tips; and trees in the live oak group have oval leaves with rounded tips.

All species in the white oak group are moderately resistant to oak wilt, but if infected, trees can be killed over a period of one to several years. Resistance in white oaks appears to be related to characteristics of physiology and morphology. Upon wounding, infection, or as a part of the natural aging process, white oaks tend to form minute plugs called tyloses in their sapwood vessels. These plugs make the wood of white oaks impermeable to water, and also appear to prevent the fungus from moving throughout the vascular system of the tree.

The tendency for white oaks to form tyloses also explains why these are the species of choice for wood used in cooperage for storing wine and whiskey. The presence of tyloses ensures that barrels made from white oak wood will not leak.

Throughout the range of oak wilt in the United States, red oaks are the most important hosts, but susceptibility varies somewhat by species. Mortality in red oaks can occur within 3 weeks after infection by the oak wilt pathogen under some circumstances. Recovery from oak wilt infections in red oaks can occur, but is rare. Texas live oak (Q. virginiana) is moderately susceptible to the disease, but because of its tendency to form large, root-connected clones through which the disease can spread, it is also considered to be an important host.

 



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Although the disease is not known west of Texas, inoculation studies have shown that most oaks in the red oak group, including several western species, are susceptible to the disease, and are at risk should the fungus ever be transmitted to them in their native habitat (Appel, 1994).

How Infection Occurs: The Disease Cycle of Oak Wilt
The oak wilt fungus moves from tree to tree in two ways: transported underground through the roots or overland by insect vectors.

Local spread of oak wilt
Most new tree infections occur as a result of the fungus moving from an infected tree to a nearby healthy tree through connected root systems, a process called "local spread". The roots of trees in each oak group commonly graft to roots of other trees in the same group, forming a continuous underground network. When one tree in a group becomes infected and dies, the fungus spreads through the connected root systems, killing more trees and creating an "infection center."

Root grafts do not commonly occur between trees of different species groups, although exceptions occur. Usually a mix of species in a given location will retard local spread and limit the impact of the disease. However, root grafts often do occur between Texas live oaks and red oaks in mixed stands.

Depending upon soil type and the mix of tree species in a forest or yard, infection of healthy trees through root grafts can occur at some distance (up to 100 feet or more) from an infected tree. Sandy soils are conducive to the formation of widespread root systems, increasing the likelihood of root grafts occurring farther away from a diseased tree. Some oak species, including northern pin oak and Texas live oak, often grow in large groups of similar-aged trees that share a common root system. Such situations can lead to rapid expansion of oak wilt centers if even one tree in the group becomes infected.

Long-distance spread of oak wilt
New infection centers can occur if the fungus is carried from an infected tree to a fresh wound on a healthy tree by an insect, a process called "overland spread".

Under certain moisture and temperature conditions, compact masses of spore-producing fungal material, variously called "spore mats," "spore pads," "pressure mats," or "pressure pads" are sometimes formed on oak trees that have been killed by oak wilt. These mats form just under the bark, in contact with both the bark and the infected sapwood of the tree. As the mats mature, they produce specialized structures that exert outward pressure on the bark (the "pressure pads") and cause it to split, providing a route for insects to reach the mats.

 

 

Upper pathway
Long distance spread of oak wilt occurs when nitidulid beetles carry spores of the fungus from spore mats on infected trees to wounds on healthy trees, causing infection and death of the tree. Time from infection to mortality may be very short for red oaks and Texas live oak, or many years for members of the white oak group.

Lower pathway
Local spread of oak wilt occurs when the fungus travels through the interconnected roots of infected and healthy trees.

Oak wilt spore mats emit a strong fruity or wine-like odor that attracts many different species of nitidulid beetles, also known as sap beetles. As they feed on or tunnel through the spore mats, nitidulid beetles often accumulate fungal spores on the surface of their bodies.

Oak trees often sustain wounds caused by construction equipment, storms, pruning tools, or vandalism. Fresh wounds usually leak sap. The sap attracts insects, including nitidulid beetles that have visited oak wilt spore mats. The overland movement of nitidulid beetles from spore mats on infected trees to wounds on otherwise healthy trees thus creates most new infection centers.

Not all nitidulid beetles are vectors of the oak wilt pathogen. In the North, nitidulids in the genera Carpophilus, Colopterus and Epurea are most often associated with both oak wilt spore mats and fresh wounds on healthy oaks. The common picnic beetle in the genus Glischrochilus (the larger beetle pictured) has often been implicated in the oak wilt disease cycle, but does not appear to be an important vector of the disease.


Figure 6. Nitidulid beetles are primarily responsible for overland spread of oak wilt.

Spore mats can form only within a year after tree death, and only when air temperature and wood moisture are within a certain range. In the northern United States this combination of wood moisture and temperature commonly occurs in spring of the year after the tree dies, or sometimes in autumn of the year the tree dies. The period of time during which mats are formed increases with decreasing latitude. In Texas, mat formation occurs at any time during the year, but is most common in late fall and winter when the weather is cooler and wetter.

Spore mats usually do not form on trees smaller than 6 inches in diameter at breast height, although smaller trees can occasionally support mats. In Texas, spore mats are formed only on Texas red oak and blackjack oak, and never on Texas live oak. For this reason, the red oaks are important for establishing new infection centers in Texas.

Another group of insects, oak bark beetles (not pictured), can also carry spores of the oak wilt pathogen and help to create new infection centers. These beetles acquire spores of the fungus while feeding on infected branches, and subsequently transmit them when feeding on healthy trees.

Symptoms
Oak wilt disease symptoms progress differently in red oaks, white oaks, and Texas live oak.

Red oak group
Oak wilt is usually identified in red oaks by the symptoms of rapid leaf discoloration and wilting. Often the initial symptom is a subtle off-green color shift that may be visible in the upper portion of the tree crown. This symptom is apparent in the northern part of the disease range in late June to early July. Shortly after this initial color shift, the leaves begin to wilt from the top of the crown downward. As the disease progresses, individual leaves quickly discolor, taking on a "bronzed" appearance. The discoloration progresses around the margins of the leaf from the tip to the base. The progressing discoloration may be interrupted by the leaf veins, as shown in the white oak leaf in, or may affect the entire upper portion of the leaf, as shown in the red oak leaf.

Leaves are cast rapidly as the infection progresses. Commonly, infected trees are almost entirely defoliated within a few weeks of symptom onset. Fallen leaves usually are brown at the tips and margins, and sometimes green at the base and along

Occasionally the outer ring of vessels of diseased trees will be plugged with a brown substance that may be visible in cross sections as a ring or a series of dark spots through the outer sapwood, and in tangential cuts as longitudinal streaking of wood exposed after removing the bark. However, this is not always obvious to an untrained observer, especially in the red oaks. The discoloration may be very light or appear as flecks in such sections. Discoloration is most readily seen in tangential cuts on branches.

White oak group
White oaks usually die slowly, one branch at a time, over a period of one to many years. Wilting and death of leaves on individual branches occur in a similar fashion to the disease in red oaks, but usually progresses much more slowly. Affected leaves exhibit a pattern of discoloration similar to that seen in red oaks, with discoloration proceeding from the margins to the base, sometimes interrupted by the leaf veins. Brown streaking in the outer growth rings is often readily apparent even to an untrained observer in infected white oaks and bur oaks, but may be missing.

Texas live oak
Texas live oaks can wilt and die rapidly or slowly, depending on the timing of infection and weather conditions, but generally succumb within 1-6 months of infection. Diagnostic leaf symptoms are usually produced somewhere on the tree (especially in spring and fall). Leaves develop yellow ("chlorotic") veins which eventually turn brown ("necrotic"), a symptom termed veinal necrosis. Affected leaves fall, and the tree crown progressively thins out until the entire tree is dead. Fallen leaves under the tree may show darker brown veins for months. Sometimes just the tips, margins, or interveinal portions of leaves will turn yellow or brown, but these symptoms are not necessarily the result of oak wilt, and not as useful in diagnosing the disease. A small percentage of Texas live oaks may survive oak wilt infection indefinitely, while suffering varying degrees of crown loss.

Diagnosis
Accurate diagnosis of oak wilt is essential before costly control efforts are begun. Foresters, arborists, or pathologists experienced with oak wilt can often diagnose the problem in the field using host species, symptoms and mortality patterns. Properly sampling suspect trees and culturing in a qualified laboratory may be necessary in some cases. See the publication, "How to Collect Field Samples and Identify the Oak Wilt Fungus in the Laboratory" for additional information.

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