New fungal disease killing endemic Hawaiian trees

Hawaii is home to many endemic species, but perhaps none is as important as ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha), a keystone tree species comprising 50% of native forests and serving as a food source for some two dozen types of native birds. As an early colonizer of fresh lava flows, ohia is also cultural...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in ecology and the environment 2016-05, Vol.14 (4), p.179-179
Main Author: Miner, Meghan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ceratocystis fimbriata
Dispatches
Metrosideros polymorpha
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Summary:Hawaii is home to many endemic species, but perhaps none is as important as ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha), a keystone tree species comprising 50% of native forests and serving as a food source for some two dozen types of native birds. As an early colonizer of fresh lava flows, ohia is also culturally symbolic of Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess. In 2010, forest ecologists began to notice the sudden death of dozens of ohia on Hawaii's Big Island. But it wasn't until late 2014 - after hundreds of thousands of ohia had died - that the cause was identified: a rogue strain of Ceratocystis fimbriata, a fungal pathogen that infects several important agricultural crops worldwide.
ISSN:1540-9295