Ohia trees are dying rapidly, Why?

[Carey]

Albizia were brought in as one of many reforestation trees selected to re-establish ground cover after huge wildfires in decades past... It has outperformed the other trees that were also used, and was even planted by residents in some of the Puna subdivisions due to its' high success.....at the time it seemed like a good idea...but that was 6 or so decades ago...

There are many very good papers on Ohia dieback, and the reports go back over a century, so pesticide/GMO would not be a probable cause, and though albizia will limit ohia in the general area of the albizia, it does not account for the huge dieback that occur in upper elevations (in recent years some of the areas of concern for the dieback include upper Stainback rd & the Mauna Kea side of upper Saddle.

Although there were some speculations on the bogging of the roots due to aquatard/aqualude formations in the substrates beneath the ohia stand that experienced dieback in the previous decades, there has not been the well structured research to absolutely confirm this (esp missing are the data on the conditions that would create these water-trapping geological structures that would waterlog the acreage involved in some of the past dieback events), and the current weather patterns create even more questions, as we have not even had the rain events that would explain waterlogging, and yet the many of the current dieback events are in areas that are still under a fairly moderate rain profile (though much lower than the local normal)...and some of the stands that have not experienced dieback events are in areas that SHOULD have both of these occurences - areas like Kaloko mauka....

If ya' have the time, definitely check in with the Forestry lab on Nowelo in Hilo (above Komohano from the astronomy headquarters & Imiloa)...as this is THE place to find the researchers working on this problem...and attend their public talks!