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Gypsy - I am learning about this stuff, too! It is best when people can get the right stories and info to each other. Dr. Friday has been at lots of meetings that I have seen, and he was probably right years ago when he was sure that no fungus or beetles were known to kill Ohia, but he should have been able to say that new diseases and pests are always a possibility here, sadly. Hopefully he has also learned some new information! One tree extension agent for how diverse the Big Island is, is not enough scientist to go around, that's for sure!
I haven't heard of the connections between tree die-off and human health, but it might make a good correlation because the things that destroy forests will change the ecology of an area. Either the causes can also affect humans (smog / dust connected to urbanization can weaken trees), then when the trees die, the local system will get drier and more apt to change... Just thinking about the connections...
Mauka Hilo-side
Mauka Hilo-side
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Hey Gypper, sorry to hear about your problems with drinking water. To avoid drinking "dead ohia matter", I recommend two items. The first is known as a catchment cover, very handy around these parts. The second is a water filter, essential if you are going to be drinking from your catchment tank. I recommend a store in Hilo called Water Works, they have all the equipment you need to save your family from drinking Ohia. Aloha and best wishes.
KJ, The Ohia trees would die around the house and the dried up dead leaf's would fall or blow on to our roof. The rain would wash the Ohia leaf into the gutters then into our water catchment. The Ohia leaf would then sit at the bottom of the catchment slowly decomposing and being drawn up to our filter before coming into our house and being used for showers or flushing. We always have had a tank cover and filter, yet we still got leaf matter into the tank sometimes via the gutters. You are obviously not from Puna or you would know these things.
For your information Rat Lungworm parasites can also live in some folks water catchments for up to 56 days. The RLW and their many eggs may also pass through some water filters and come right out onto your tooth brush or through your shower head. Sometimes I wonder why I share these things or tips with folks like KJ who can't or wont understand or appreciate. Move on KJ, I am a neighbor born-n-raised, not your enemy. jmo's
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I thought you were moving? All packed up yet?
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Trees with multiple trunks, sharing roughly the same sun/shade, soil and moisture, exhibit die off on one of the trunks. No trauma has been done to any of my dead ohias; the tree dies with recently healthy leaf appearance. My question: what to do with the wood other than burning. Bury it in cinder? It will break down ultimately. Sure would appreciate some proactive suggestions. Love my ohias, but removing guava and planting koa seem to be the only steps available to keep trees native. Thanks in advance. If only this thread didn't need to keep getting bumped...but there doesn't seem to be a solution yet.
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I just saw where a neighbor cleared their frontage by TORCHING a row of healthy Ohia and Staghorn. It must have happened yesterday. It looks like the land in front of the house was nuked. The Ohia trunks are burnt and leaves dead already. This must have happened yesterday. I can't believe it. Feeling sick... WTF is wrong with people?
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Ohia and Staghorn are not that great of a landscape design concept.
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quote:
Originally posted by gypsy69
Update on the Rapid Ohia Death, native birds and the seed banking initiative.
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2017/0...ive-birds/
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2017/0...nitiative/
Amazing how bleak the ROD situation still is.
You live in Maryland now.Time to learn about pine bark beetles so you don't spread it all over like you did ROD.
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/bark-beetles
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Killing the Ohia to get rid of the Staghorn seems like throwing out the baby with the bath water to me. We consider ours to be a treasure.
