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+--- Thread: the ohia "emergency" (/showthread.php?tid=17238)
the ohia "emergency" - kalakoa - 05-25-2016
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/local-news/rapid-ohia-death-fungus-fight-grows
Councilman Aaron Chung has been working to get an emergency declaration issued for rapid ohia death by Gov. David Ige.
An emergency declaration would free up additional federal funding that could be used to research the disease.
This year, for the first time, the state Legislature appropriated $300,000 to the state Department of Agriculture for further ROD research.
State has millions for "studies" but can't find money to fight a Big Island problem.
I wonder how much has been spent fighting the rhino beetle?
RE: the ohia "emergency" - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 05-25-2016
During the recent Merrie Monarch Hula Competition, there was much discussion about the cultural and religious significance of the ohia tree and lehua blossom in the dances and chants. Ohia was mentioned far more often than Mauna Kea.
So my question is, where are the Protectors in this crisis? Shouldn't they be gathering their 60,000 Facebook supporters and contributing in some way, either by donations to fund research, or contacting their Federal, State and Kingdom/Nation representatives as staunch advocates for the preservation of their culture? If the ohia is one of the most important plants in Native Hawaiian lore, and ohia forests cover immense areas of the island, wouldn't the destruction of those forests result in the loss of a major part of Hawaiian history as described throughout the centuries?
Ohia is a tree with immense cultural significance, symbolizing strength, beauty, and sanctity. It is considered the physical manifestation of Ku, one of the four principal Hawaiian deities. The wood was used in sacred structures for heiau (temples) and for weapons and tools. The red, orange, and yellow lehua blossoms are a symbol of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes. The Ohia is entwined with the art of hula, with its flowers and foliage frequently adorning the dancers and presented as offerings by traditional halau (hula schools).
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/view.php?id=306
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
-Joseph Brodsky
RE: the ohia "emergency" - ericlp - 05-25-2016
Sorry, the protectors only go after high dollar events. The ohia has no money.
RE: the ohia "emergency" - Guest - 05-26-2016
Thanks for the recent article and the new thread kalakoa.
I did like reading that our county would consider hiring an arborist to help identify the (ROD). Maybe they should consider hiring a team to study or investigate what may have caused the rare fungus to show up on Puna's Ohia trees in the first place?
Whats interesting to me is that in the year of 2009. Our county, state, and government made the decision to heavily increase geothermal production here in lower Puna. This type of heavy industry increase may have coincided with the wild fire spreading of this (ROD),jmo. Ground zero for the (ROD) outbreak has been noted to be around the electric Geothermal power plant which is located at the bottom of leilani. The state of hawaii seems to be concerned about the many ways the (ROD) could indeed spread to other islands. Which makes me wonder if this ebola fungus could have lived long enough to hitchhike overseas to puna on some of the mainland geothermal drilling equipment?
RE: the ohia "emergency" - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 05-26-2016
makes me wonder if this ebola fungus could have lived long enough to hitchhike overseas to puna on some of the mainland geothermal drilling equipment?
Have you ever heard of water well drillers spreading anything around the island? They drill a new well in a different location every couple of days, and I don't believe they've ever been accused of spreading any plant diseases. Hypothetically, even if there was a fungus on drilling equipment it rapidly heats up to of hundreds of degrees as it drills through lava, killing anything on it.
If the fungus was imported, a more likely method was on the hiking boots of someone who entered an active fungus area on the mainland, then hiked through an ohia forest.
gypsy, what do think about the Protectors mobilizing their vast network of 60,000+ Facebook supporters to crowd-source a solution? Have they contacted you?
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
-Joseph Brodsky
RE: the ohia "emergency" - Guest - 05-26-2016
Good morning HotpE.
You are probably right about the hiking boot possibility being a likely culprit. There has been some other places that has recently documented strange tree death, like this area in California.
https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-81/Intro/facts-sheet/GasKillingTrees.html
What's interesting or coincidental is that geothermal electricity is a lucrative business in the same areas of strange tree death like (mammoth lake) and (Puna).
http://www.mammothtimes.com/content/geothermal-plant-double-power-generation-2013
If a large study was conducted for a hundred acres of dead trees around Mammoth lake, couldn't Puna's over 36,000 acres of dead and dying Ohia trees be worth a similar study?
I would hope that our good neighbor Ormat geothermal, would be open to helping fund a similar study or two. As To help strengthen their case for more or continued production and large profits from this area of Puna,jmo.
RE: the ohia "emergency" - kalakoa - 05-26-2016
couldn't Puna's over 36,000 acres of dead and dying Ohia trees be worth a similar study?
Absolutely. Of course, such a study will require lots of paper, which is made by killing trees; fortunately, these trees aren't endemic to the islands, so we don't have to see that part of the problem.
Ground zero for the (ROD) outbreak has been noted to be around the electric Geothermal power plant which is located at the bottom of leilani.
Yes, we know that PGV is responsible for all bad things that happen, and that ROD conditions simply do not exist anywhere except within a certain radius of PGV. I haven't seen any, ahem, "reputable studies" on the issue, obviously these were suppressed at PGV request.
State Ag has $300K for "further research" -- sounds nice on paper, but government tends to hire consultants and sit in committees; I doubt any substantive "research" will happen before ROD spreads everywhere. We need boots on the ground.
Serious suggestion: sequence the DNA from a selection of ohia in different areas to see if one of the subspecies is more susceptible -- even without a DNA sequence, much variation (growth habit, leaf color, flower color, bark thickness/texture) is obvious. I wouldn't be surprised if some ohia types were immune; that's how natural selection works.
A reforestation effort should be conducted in parallel, this part can be handled by volunteers, so that we still have forests after State mismanages the ROD problem.
RE: the ohia "emergency" - Tink - 05-26-2016
Could it be that the area around PGV is only enhanced by it's influence on the humidity and heat generated from the facilty, adding to the global warming, but in its own micro climate so often found on the island? Add the wind currents from Fukushima and what else do we have? Just need to look at the climate change over the years maybe focusing on temperature and humidity changes, and what the "ideal climate" range for ROD spores to generate for a start.
Community begins with Aloha
RE: the ohia "emergency" - leilanidude - 05-26-2016
quote:
Originally posted by Tink
Could it be that the area around PGV is only enhanced by it's influence on the humidity and heat generated from the facilty, adding to the global warming, but in its own micro climate so often found on the island? Add the wind currents from Fukushima and what else do we have? Just need to look at the climate change over the years maybe focusing on temperature and humidity changes, and what the "ideal climate" range for ROD spores to generate for a start.
Community begins with Aloha
No.
RE: the ohia "emergency" - Tink - 05-26-2016
Thanks. Rule out temp or humidity change. Back to finding what fungicide would work, if any. What works on Mango wilt? Heard it is similar in the fungus way. Also know some types are "once it shows, there she goes", so it must be in the leaf detritus to start, maybe?
Community begins with Aloha