Topic: Our Changing Climate: How Drought and Flooding Affect Overall Plant Health and Their Ability to Deal with Stress and Associated Pests and Diseases

Speaker: Dr. Fredric Miller, Illinois Forest Health Specialist

Date: April 16, 2026

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

Location: Village of Lombard Community Room - 255 E Wilson Ave. Lombard, IL 60148

CEUs: 2 ISA CEUs

Talk Description:  This session will include an in-depth discussion of drought and/or excessive precipitation, and their impact on plant water relations and regulation, and the relationship with plant defenses.  Using preliminary findings from oak decline studies, we look specifically as to how the previous years of prolonged very dry to droughty conditions and/or excessive precipitation patterns may predispose trees to feeding damage by insect and mite pests, infection by root rots, invasion by stress related cankers, and the prevalence of spring and early season foliage diseases. The session will wrap up with a brief update on the newest invasives, spotted lanternfly (SLF), elm zigzag sawfly (EZZSF), and a new disease affecting Carpinus spp.  There will be time at the end of the presentation to allow for questions and discussion of other pressing PHC issues.