what happens after the ROD

[ElysianWort]

Wait till they are all dead huh? As opposed to what? Frantically trying to stop it? In what manner? What do you suggest Kalikoa?
I'm simply saying that ROD doesn't appear to be affecting all the ohia and that the strong will survive.

[Rene Siracusa]

I was recently informed by Dr. JB Friday of Pacific Islands Forestry that the Lyon Arboretum is now collecting seed from various "seemingly resistant" ohia throughout the islands for the purpose of establishing a seed bank. This will not stop the infestation, but it is a prudent move in the event that ALL the ohia eventually succumb, because it means that there will be a chance of re-establishing the species.

I think (but I'm not sure) that the different varieties of ohia are being tested for resistance. If it turns out that some are, then that will bode well for re-establishing future populations.

Meanwhile, research continues and the State is finally serious about funding it. And all the rest of us can do is be really proactive and careful not to spread the fungus - even if it takes a little extra effort, like scraping our boots.

[ElysianWort]

Small steps like washing our boots or simply not moving any downed ohia. Yes that would be expected from citizens that want to help in preventing the spread...however: What about the airborne spores of the fungus? There's really nothing we can do to stop that Kalakoa. I'm not saying "just do nothing" but I am sensing futility. According to the state pamphlet on ROD and the meeting held a while ago, we are to: Not transport ohia, clean our tools and gear, and pressure wash the undercarriage of our vehicle whenever we depart from an area with ROD. Quick question: What do you think are the percentage of people in puna who own pressure washers? What part of that percentage is going to wash the bottom of their vehicle EVERY DAY leave their home (ROD infected area)?http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/disease/ohia_wilt.html

[ElysianWort]

Oh wait: Even if we get a pressure washer and diligently clean all the dust off our car every time we leave the driveway, I still have to (and all the neighbors out here) drive down a mile or so of dusty roads, right next to ohias with ROD before we reach the highway. Should we manifest and materialize a washing station at the exit of every subdivision where motorists gaily stop in their busy routine and frolic about on the sides of the roads waiting their turn to hose the underside of their car down? Hah! wash our cars down every time we leave....Ridiculous. And yet it's that dust that contains the ROD spores.

[kalakoa]

Assuming that ROD will kill off all the ohias and demanding we do something about it before it is too late is a "chicken little" approach to the problem.

State has a history of reacting too slowly to make a difference, and the potential impacts of ROD are far greater (eg, losing the watershed) compared to previous pests.

What do you think are the percentage of people in puna who own pressure washers? What part of that percentage is going to wash the bottom of their vehicle EVERY DAY leave their home (ROD infected area)?

By the time ROD is evident, it's already too late to pressure-wash the bottom of your vehicle -- besides which, you probably drive through multiple infected areas daily. (Funny how "keepin' it country" requires more travel, thereby increasing the opportunity to spread infections...)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

- besides which, you probably drive through multiple infected areas daily. (Funny how "keepin' it country" requires more travel, thereby increasing the opportunity to spread infections...)

Coquis started out at one nursery in Kurtistown. From there they spread across the island on cars.

“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
-Joseph Brodsky

[kalakoa]

From the CTAHR publications:

- ROD confirmed 2013 "or before"
- Restrictions on interisland transport of ohia in 2015
- "work has begun" on identification of vectors
- symptoms can take a year or more to appear

Top priority is still "research" and "outreach" but they're short about a half-million in funding.

Again: maybe now is a good time to start planting some trees?

[bananahead]

untrue about there being 1 type of Ohia, the name 'polymorpha' means 'many forms'.. within Metrosideros polymorpha there are at least a dozen different types of Ohia here in Hawaii... look at the leaves, the shape thickness spacing and the new growth colors, they can be bright red, orange, lime green, gray, fuzzy bottomed, smooth bottom, shinny leaves both sides, dull both sides, very dull small leaves, thick and brittle, thin and soft etc. etc.

an extremely common tree thats been in this chain of islands for over 60 million years will not die off easily. Ohia is the 'weed tree' of the endemic plants here, it can adapt to coastal hot dry no dirt, upland colder wet soggy moss, and everything in between.. it reseeds very easily too....

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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[terracore]

The American chestnut was also around for millions of years, and occupied a much larger land area (over 200 million acres). The fastest-growing hardwood, it was the main forest tree of the Eastern US, and what we made ships, houses, furniture, flooring, etc out of until a blight imported from an Asian ornamental chestnut species came in and wiped them all out. The only survivors are a few tiny areas that never got the blight, and some infected, disfigured sickly trees. Over a hundred years of selective breeding has yet to yield a resistant tree.

Hopefully, the Ohia do better.

[Midnight Rambler]

quote:

---

Originally posted by kalakoa

There is some genetic diversity in Ohia

I doubt it's enough -- but nor do I see anyone testing the varietals for ROD resistance. For my part, I'm leaving a section of the lot uncut, to my untrained eye there are at least 3 types of ohia (red tall, red bushy, yellow).

---

There is much, much more than that. Start looking at the amount of hairs on the underside of the leaves, the shape of the leaf bud, the length of the leaf stem, how curled the leaves are, etc. and you will see there are many varieties. Unfortunately there are only about our or five on the Big Island - for example, the one that grows on new lava flows has hairy leaves, while the one that comes up after it on older ones has bare leaves, and then at high elevations on Mauna Loa is one with very dense hairs and curled-over leaves. But on Oahu you can easily find 10 varieties on a single ridge, along with a couple that are different enough to be considered separate species.