Alien fungus blights Hawaii***s native trees

An ecological disaster is unfolding on Hawaii''s largest island. Rapid ''Ôhi''a Death, caused by an imported fungus, is causing Hawaii''s iconic native ''ôhi''a tree to perish in droves. Some 20,000 hectares are now affected, according to a recent survey. Abundant across the archipelago, ''ôhi''a are the only native tree in Hawaii that colonizes lava flows, and they provide habitat for several rare species of native birds and insects. The outbreak exploded in 2014, in dense ''ôhi''a groves in Hilo Forest Reserve on Big Island, and has worsened ever since. Characterizing the fungus, Ceratocystis fimbriata, might help researchers mount a defense for ''ôhi''a, as well as determine whether other native plants or crops are vulnerable. Scientists are also trying to unravel precisely how the fungus spreads.

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Inga Vesper. 2016. Science 21 Oct 2016: Vol. 354, Issue 6310, pp. 273 DOI: 10.1126/science.354.6310.273 www.dontmovefirewood.org/gallery-of-pests http://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rod/Home.aspx