ISDM - Landscape Architecture Continuing Education Online Courses

Course Description:

Emerald Ash Borer, Integrated Pest Management, and Biological Controls introduces landscape architects to the ecological, cultural, and economic impacts of emerald ash borer on ash trees and urban forest systems. The course explains how emerald ash borer spreads, why ash decline affects designed landscapes and municipal tree canopies, and how integrated pest management strategies can be used to reduce damage. Special attention is given to biological control efforts, including the use of parasitoid wasps, host-specificity testing, monitoring, and the role of biocontrol as part of a larger long-term management strategy.

For landscape architects, this course emphasizes practical decision-making in planting design, tree preservation, urban forestry planning, species diversity, pest monitoring, and coordination with arborists, municipalities, and land managers. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of how emerald ash borer management can influence site planning, tree selection, maintenance expectations, and long-term landscape resilience.

Learning objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the major ecological, cultural, and economic impacts of emerald ash borer on ash trees, urban forests, and managed landscapes.
2. Explain the basic principles of integrated pest management as they apply to emerald ash borer detection, monitoring, treatment, and long-term control.
3. Describe how biological control agents, including parasitoids, are evaluated and used to help manage emerald ash borer populations.
4. Apply emerald ash borer management concepts to landscape architecture decisions involving tree preservation, species selection, canopy planning, and urban forest resilience.

 General Course Information

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