Ohia trees are dying rapidly, Why?

[Midnight Rambler]

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Originally posted by wakan

I would probably agree with those who have suggested that there is a fungus (or other parasite) that is killing off all the Keikis. The old growth Ohia on my land are being crowded out by introduced trees, including Strawberry Guava, and the keikis of that species which are obviously so prolific in the understory that the Ohia Keikis are virtually non-existent. However, there is a dense grove of old growth Ohia in the Nanawale Forest Reserve adjacent to my land that is still fairly free of the Strawberry Guava; and there are still almost no Keikis. The adult tress are all healthy though. The trees are very large and dense creating a dark forest floor without a lot of other intruders, but still few Keikis.

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Ohia is very much a sun-loving plant. The seedlings may be unable to survive in a dense forest, or if they do they may look quite different - the ones you see in the higher elevation forest are often only about 1/4" diameter at the base, less than two feet long, and vine-like, waiting for a treefall to open up some sunlight above them. The different varieties found at high and low elevations may have different survival abilities in deep shade. Unfortunately, strawberry guava is able to grow in dense shade just fine, which is why it's such a terrible pest.