Ohia trees are dying rapidly, Why?

[pbmaise]

gypsy
Based on your observations I am leaning away from fungus or coqui theory.

Fire ants can fatally damage some plants by tunnelling through roots. Ohia have sensitive shallow root systems.

Your observations of a long narrow line sounds like a trail of insects. Fire ants would eat all roots along the way.

If it is a fungus, and I now doubt it, it sounds like the fungus starts at the top of biggest trees.

Birds and a change in diet?

There is a small pond up at the steam vents, and of course we have Green Lake. These are naturally places for many types of fungi.

Suppose a coqui frogs when at these fresh water sources got fungi infections.

These in turn were directly eaten by birds, or rats ate the coqui and birds ate the rats. I am thinking of owls in particular.



In Mountain View near that coffee shop I am aware of a property about a mile up. Large warehouse, left side. The property also has a freshwater pond. Are trees dying up there?

As for your observations, it almost seems like by the scope and variety of plants affected that someone has sprayed round-up around your place.

However, your observations are wide spread.

Dirt samples to the Ag extensive office at the University? Will tell you not much more than soil acidity.

Was there a dead tree laying on the ground where this line appeared?


A different line of thought is fire ants


http://msucares.com/insects/fireants/biology.html