What is a sudden oak death?

Sudden oak death is a phenomenon that killed tens of thousands of trees in the coastal forests of California. Mushroom infection is about to spread over many oak species and spreads rapidly through a wide range of hosts, resulting in very high mortality. Trees scientists desperately examine the responsible pathogen, Phytophthora Ramorum before this disease expands behind California and Oregon to endanger all oaks on the west coast. Most scientists believe that the fungus came from the outside of the region. Soon, this fungus, p. Ramorum , attacked the flock of trees and created an epidemic that is alarming ecologists. Theje influenced the trunk of these trees, but another remarkable power of infection is its ability to use other "host" plants that are not trees, such as rhododendrons. This means that the fungus broadly circulates with air and leaves, never losing strength.

Symptoms of sudden oak death begin with terrible "bleeding"trunk. A fabric that looks like a sap, blackish red animal blood color, crusts from the bark. It can be seen around the eye level, from 6 feet (2 m) down. This phase is the primary infection p. Ramorum , but recedes the secondary infestation of the bark of beetles. Originally, experts thought that bark beetles were killing trees, but that was changed.

small brown bark beetles plunged into a weakened bark and their activities leave the dust on the trunk. As soon as the insect seizes, the affected tree will certainly die early, so the mushroom of the ND can circulate between the surrounding trees. Sudden oak death has spoiled so many trees that ecologists are afraid of other plants, animals, birds and insects that share their environment as well as erosion. The infection spreads outside California to Oregon. There are even some indications that he is in Europe.

Sudden oak death is particularly alarming because of the strength, versatility of the fungus and secured mortality on oaks. If p. Ramorum was originally from the coast, the arborists believe that the huge death of the trees mIt can be part of a natural cycle and may not be related. However, the fact that the epidemic may be caused by human intervention calls them to explore and control the epidemic.