Ohia trees are dying rapidly, Why?

[rainyjim]

Hi Carey,

Did you read the article yet? I'm not sure it's conclusive of ceratocystis being the causal agent. As of yet, I don't believe the criteria for Koch's postulates have been met.

[kalakoa]

We do not know how the disease got here or how it spreads.

Just like the coqui, LFA, CBB ... maybe increase State Ag funding before there's nothing left?

[Guest]

This Ohia die off has been running rampant for several years already. Our state agencies including our mayors office did not act like this was any big deal four years ago, so why now?. J.B Friday came out here a couple years back and told us they had no money to take even a helicopter flight for pictures of this die off. I told him and his colleagues that I had taken notes for a couple years already, He never bothered to look at them. Anyway I still feel I may know where and how this die off got started, J.B should still have my # if he is interested in knowing?

[Chunkster]

When it gets to Oahu, they will declare it a major emergency and launch a task force, etc. As long as it's only here, no big deal. Same thing with coquis, LFA, or any other invasive pest.

[rainyjim]

Doubtful Chunkster,

Ohia is a rare sight on Oahu. You might occasionally see one planted in someone's yard or one here or there if you are up hiking on a ridge away from the developed areas.

[Chunkster]

You do have a point, rainyjim. I googled it, and significant Ohia forests on Oahu are "rare, but present in a few remote areas." I stand by my general contention, however, that this sort of issue is not considered serious by state officials when limited to the Big Island.

[Guest]

Jmo, the coqui came to Puna when Walmart and its garden section came. The fire ants came with the flower nurseries for decades. The spreading of these ants to nearby palm, mango, and coconut trees was inevitable. The Ohia fungus took a few things to happen before it mutated. Yams, taro, kava could carry this disease first. Then the soil filled with these fungus spores could get pushed or dozed near and around the sensitive Ohia stands.

I use to see a common practice by the kapoho papaya farmers back in the day. Some would plant things like sweet patato yams, tomatoes, taro,ect, in their pushed burms around the papaya farms. Now its hard"not impossible" to grow any of these plants like (tomatoes, yams, taro, kava, or Ohia) in this area of Puna without seeing some sort of fungus or death wilt.
P.S. I still know where one of the first possible dead Ohia stumps sits from this disease? its been at least 10-12 years now, Maybe the soil or stump could still be sampled for various reasons?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

the coqui came to Puna when Walmart and its garden section came.

Coqui were imported by a tropical flower grower above Kurtistown, in a shipment of tropical flower stock from Puerto Rico.


The fire ants came with the flower nurseries for decades

Fire ants were first discovered on a foliage farm in HPP. Then traced back to a foliage/flower importer located in Puna.

[Guest]

Hotpe, your probably correct about those coqui frogs coming from Puerto Rico?.
I remember the first coqui frog I ever heard was in the actual garden department at the new hilo Walmart? The gentleman who ran his nursery above keaau probably did not think he brought the frog to the big island either?. The First several times I ever got bit by the bigger fire ant here was in Ppark working at a nursery, also again in Kapoho working at an orchid nursery. I started seeing the little tiny fireant in coconut and palm trees in kapoho a decade ago. Nurseries use to be big business around these parts before the revival of papaya or dedication to steam and electricity. The fire ants, coquis, growing Albezia trees, and dying or dead Ohia forests may be here to stay unfortunately?.

[Midnight Rambler]

rainyjim and Chunkster - ohia forest covers about a third of Oahu. Just because you have to walk to get there, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.