Ohia trees are dying rapidly, Why?

[Midnight Rambler]

Several of the major forest researchers recently put out a book called "Ohia Lehua Rainforest" that summarizes much of what's known about ohia dieback and other forest dynamics. If you're interested in the subject it's a good intro because it doesn't require a technical background in botany or even science beyond a very basic understanding of biology.
http://www.amazon.com/`Ohi`-Lehua-Rainfo...615744354/

ETA - sorry, you'll have to cut and paste the link; for some reason the okina are in the URL but it won't work here, even with the url code around it.

[peteadams]

On our trip into and back from Hilo today, we noticed the median cleanup on Hwy 11 across from HCCC was leaving a small grove of 'ohias. Compliments to the highway crews for their care! The ground is clearly well scraped of other vegetation around them so this could be an interesting experiment in whether surface root disturbance (including the heavy machinery) harms 'ohias.

[Hawnjigs]

When we moved into Nanawale around 18 years ago, dead ohias if any were not noticeable during our recreational walks. Now, there is a disturbing amount of recently dead and dying trees, just in the past few years. As others have noted, the older larger trees in the soil belts seem most affected, the more recent lava flow shallow soil areas are far less affected. Has anyone considered the effects of aluminum or other substance toxicity from geo-engineering fallout?

Aloha aina, aloha kai

[Guest]

Hawnjigs, I thought similarly for a few years now. (the story is they died naturally-dieoff). We did get 2 or 3 really good rains the last 4 months, since the rain I have seen very few DYING trees. Some say we were in a long drought? yet my bushes never showed it, and 150 year old ohia's died. Maybe this years supposable geothermal funded health study will notice all the dead ohia trees?. Maybe not too?. Why does the state or feds not want to spend the money to know why the trees are dying?. The studies done in the past were in the 50's and 70's before geothermal, yet the way the trees are dying and the age is different. Yes natural die-offs have happened, I have also seen with my own eyes large Ohia's die next to Geothermal plant'S in the 80'(upper Pahoa) and 90's (lower Leilani). Makes me feel the same way now as I did back then, because of the way these trees died and where?. P.S Does anyone know if the indigenous rain forest tree OHIA or MAN was here first?.

[Delta9r]

Metrosideros Polymorpha preceded human discovery of these islands by thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years.
Recent testing supports the theory that Hawai'i was first inhabited circa 1200 A.D.

http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/ike/moolelo/di...ement.html

quote:

---

Damaging Agents- Many insects attack 'ohi'a lehua trees. Among these, the endemic cerambycid borer Plagithmysus bilineatus has the greatest potential impact. It may become epidemic and fatal to weakened trees and is associated with extensive canopy dieback. Environmental stresses are significant in reducing 'ohi'a lehua vigor and predisposing the trees to attack by R bilineatus (14). Other potentially damaging borers are Ceresium Unicolor, Xyleborus saxesensi, and X. simillimus. Defoliators and sapsucking insects also cause minor injury to 'ohi'a lehua.

The root rots, Phytophthora cinnamomi (14) and Pythium vexans, and the shoestring root rot, Armillaria mellea, can be locally damaging and also are associated with canopy dieback. Damping off caused by Rhizoctonia spp. also has been reported (6).

Decline of 'ohi'a lehua canopy has been the subject of considerable research since 1975 showing that the phenomenon is most likely characteristic of the species. The loss of ability to withstand environmental stresses, diseases, or insect attacks is apparently synchronous among trees within populations. Entire stands of approximately equal age trees may die back to a few remanents (1,10,11).

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_man...morpha.htm

---

Polynesian wayfarers brought many "canoe plants" with them, such as Ulu, Kalo, Uala, and Kukui, but Ohi'a and Koa are endemic to Hawai'i.

"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."

[Delta9r]

Interesting regarding the discrepancies in approximate discovery dates.
For most of my life it was believed that the first settlers arrived around 750 A.D. but who knows?

Also, I thought that Pa'ao brought the Kapu religion from Samoa, including the instigation of human sacrifice at Luakini Heiau such as Mo'okini near Upolu Point. (Upolu is the name of the place in Samoa where Pa'ao came from, and there is also a Ka'u in Samoa)

quote:

---

Another version of the Pa‘ao tradition appears in Laura Green’s Folk-tales from Hawai‘i (120–124); the story was told in Hawaiian to Mary Kawena Pukui by Mrs. Kanuikaikaina of Hilo, Hawai‘i; it was translated by Miss Green. Mrs. Kanuikaikaina begins: “Two brothers, Pa‘ao and Lonopele, were priests of the gods Ku and Lono in ‘Upolo, Samoa. Pa‘ao was the priest of Ku-ka‘ili-moku, who later became the war-god of Kamehmameha I, as ‘Ku-snatcher of islands.’”

http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/ike/moolelo/paao.html

---

I agree with you about bulldozers. I refused to bring in a D9 for my first lot in Hawaiian Acres, and did the entire (100+ meter) driveway + housepad by hand. Lots & lots of rock fill. I was a bit older when I developed my present location, so I only did about 35 meters of driveway by hand the last time around, but ended up having a few hours of work done when a neighbor brought in a dozer. (I made sure he stayed far away from the few big trees I have)

You can also see a lot of places with dying off Ohi'a when doing overflights in areas far from any roads, so I believe the reasons for the die-backs are many as well as complex.

"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."

[jackson]

As there is noting "endemic" to Hawaii, the Ohia also travelled here. It came in the stomachs of birds on the jet stream. The seeds evolved on their way here and the tree further evolved to the Big Is;and's unique stressors. As far as I know, it is the only tree that can stop "breathing" during times of high SO2 from the volcano. Koa came the same way, most likely from Tasmania where its very close cousin, blackwood is from. Old koas in the park are also dying off as they live about 700-800 years. But there is also drought to consider as well as the worst invasive in the area, the fiya tree. I think there are many stressors on the ohia now that are causing them to die. It is very disturbing to me to watch.

[Rob Tucker]

A number of Ohia are dying on my farm which I attribute to the guava choking them and over competing for water.

[Hawnjigs]

Just supposition, but as they say "from the mouths of babes", perhaps deep soil environments are more likely to contain and concentrate contaminants than shallow with more intact rainfall leach porosity? Recently, the CraigsList poster affectionately referred to as "Chemtrail Loon" prompted me to research Geo-engineering and there appears to be overwhelming corrobrated evidence that indeed we may be inundated with toxic particulate fallout. Apparently just a few PPM aluminum can be fatal to plants, or at least an additional stressor rendering succeptibility to the mentioned destructive organisms. Many thanks for the info.

Aloha aina, aloha kai

[Guest]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jackson

As there is noting "endemic" to Hawaii, the Ohia also travelled here. It came in the stomachs of birds on the jet stream. The seeds evolved on their way here and the tree further evolved to the Big Is;and's unique stressors.

---

Can you clarify "evolved on the way here"? And do you mean "adapted" to it's environment?