06-13-2016, 12:35 AM
Tree blights are nothing new. On the mainland they had the Chestnut blight disaster near the turn of the 20th century that wiped out the anchor species of the forests of the entire Eastern US. Then there was Dutch Elm disease, that wiped out another widespread and useful species on the mainland. Now California is facing a blight on its iconic coastal Oak trees.
People are accidentally spreading these tree plagues. Absent a quarantine on long distance travel or commerce in plants, I don't see any solution other than species replacement.
A replacement species for the Ohia in Hawaiian forests may need to be found until the fungus runs its course and the Ohia returns. That may be centuries. Alternatively, they may be able to create a GMO Ohia that is resistant to the fungus, but then crazies will try to burn/cut them all down.
An ohia replacement needs to be something useful, that will grow in diverse micro-climates, and that has some economic value. IF nothing is done, the niche occupied by Ohia will be filled by invasive weed tree species like ironwood, albezia and cecropia.
It would be nice to see the state do something proactive on this, but given past experience with state introduction of albezia, mongooses, etc. that may be wishful thinking.
Does anyone know of a candidate replacement species for Ohia? I have a lot of ohia and some are already dying.
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You can't fix Samsara.
People are accidentally spreading these tree plagues. Absent a quarantine on long distance travel or commerce in plants, I don't see any solution other than species replacement.
A replacement species for the Ohia in Hawaiian forests may need to be found until the fungus runs its course and the Ohia returns. That may be centuries. Alternatively, they may be able to create a GMO Ohia that is resistant to the fungus, but then crazies will try to burn/cut them all down.
An ohia replacement needs to be something useful, that will grow in diverse micro-climates, and that has some economic value. IF nothing is done, the niche occupied by Ohia will be filled by invasive weed tree species like ironwood, albezia and cecropia.
It would be nice to see the state do something proactive on this, but given past experience with state introduction of albezia, mongooses, etc. that may be wishful thinking.
Does anyone know of a candidate replacement species for Ohia? I have a lot of ohia and some are already dying.
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You can't fix Samsara.