Ohia trees are dying rapidly, Why?

[Delta9r]

Metrosideros Polymorpha preceded human discovery of these islands by thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years.
Recent testing supports the theory that Hawai'i was first inhabited circa 1200 A.D.

http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/ike/moolelo/di...ement.html

quote:

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Damaging Agents- Many insects attack 'ohi'a lehua trees. Among these, the endemic cerambycid borer Plagithmysus bilineatus has the greatest potential impact. It may become epidemic and fatal to weakened trees and is associated with extensive canopy dieback. Environmental stresses are significant in reducing 'ohi'a lehua vigor and predisposing the trees to attack by R bilineatus (14). Other potentially damaging borers are Ceresium Unicolor, Xyleborus saxesensi, and X. simillimus. Defoliators and sapsucking insects also cause minor injury to 'ohi'a lehua.

The root rots, Phytophthora cinnamomi (14) and Pythium vexans, and the shoestring root rot, Armillaria mellea, can be locally damaging and also are associated with canopy dieback. Damping off caused by Rhizoctonia spp. also has been reported (6).

Decline of 'ohi'a lehua canopy has been the subject of considerable research since 1975 showing that the phenomenon is most likely characteristic of the species. The loss of ability to withstand environmental stresses, diseases, or insect attacks is apparently synchronous among trees within populations. Entire stands of approximately equal age trees may die back to a few remanents (1,10,11).

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_man...morpha.htm

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Polynesian wayfarers brought many "canoe plants" with them, such as Ulu, Kalo, Uala, and Kukui, but Ohi'a and Koa are endemic to Hawai'i.

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