Fungal disease kills hundreds of thousands of Ohia trees in Hawaii

A fungal disease called Rapid Ohia Death (ROD) have killed hundreds of thousands of Hawaii’s iconic and native Ohia trees, which flora experts say are vital to the water supplies.

The Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR) has warned that ROD, which is caused by a fungus called Ceratocystis fimbriata, has the potential of spreading across the state.

The fungal disease is new to Hawaii vegetation, and currently it impacts only Big Island forests. But, the thought of its potential of spreading across Hawaii has already created a wave of fear among experts.

A number of Hawaii agencies have teamed up with federal agencies to develop up-to-date information about ROD and find ways to minimize further spread of the disease. DLNR Chairperson Suzanne Case and Dept. of Agriculture Head Scott Enright are two of the top state officials engaged in the fight against the disease.

Officials said in a statement, “They (Ohia trees) are so important for protecting our forest watersheds that it’s necessary our approach to combating this disease involves the highest levels of government and includes non-government agencies and private partners that can provide additional resources and expertise.”

The mysterious disease was first detected in 2014 in the forests of Puna. Since then, it has spread to several other areas, including the Kona and Ka’u Island. The fungal disease can lead to the death of a mature tree within two weeks, with a varying mortality risk of between 50 per cent and 90 per cent depending on the area.

In other news DispatchTribunal reported, DLNR Chair Suzanne Case, along with Dept. of Agriculture (HDOA) Chair Scott Enright are two of the top state officials engaged in the battle against Rapid Ohia Death. Case said, “Ohia trees cover more than one million acres statewide and Ohia is widely considered the most important forest tree in Hawaii. They are so important for protecting our forest watersheds that it’s necessary our approach to combating this disease involves the highest levels of government and includes non-government agencies and private partners that can provide additional resources and expertise.”

In a statement provided to WorldReportNow, Ohia lehua trees in Hawaii are being killed by fungus, endangering native birds, the fresh water supply but also some cultural traditions such as hula. Residents of the Big Island are calling the disease the ‘rapid ohia death’ and more reports show that it has already affected millions of ohia lehua trees. If last year experts were saying that 50 percent of the ohia trees have been affected in a forest area of over 6,000 acres, now they think that the impact has reached almost all the trees.

Environmental activists and state authorities are suffering from a state-wide panic because Hawaii trees are under the threat of death by fungus. The trees targeted by the fungus are the ohia trees, spread across 12.000 acres in the state. The ohia lehua trees are an extremely important part of the environment because they replenish the earth’s water supply, as well as providing a food source for endangered bird species. The Hawaiian culture also relies heavily on the trees, with them being part of the traditional hula, reports GraciousColumn.