An insect that has the potential to kill millions of trees in Nebraska and southwest Iowa has been found north of Kansas City, Mo., bringing into sharp relief an imminent threat to the region’s canopy.

Scientists have confirmed that a dead ash tree in a Parkville, Mo. neighborhood was carrying the emerald ash borer, said Justine Gartner, forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Gartner said several other trees in the neighborhood show signs of ash borer infestation.

Eric Berg, program leader for community forestry at the Nebraska Forest Service, said the discovery has heightened worries in Nebraska about the potential for an explosive infestation.

Ash trees make up 7% to about 40% of the canopy in Nebraska communities, he said. And because the tree is native to this area, its found by the millions in forested areas and windbreaks.

From Omaha.com: https://www.omaha.com/article/20120805/NEWS/708059910/1707