The government shutdown has paused a critical detection component of the effort to contain Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death in Hawaiʻi's native forests.
ROD is a deadly fungal pathogen that’s killed over one million ‘ōhiʻa trees since it was first identified a decade ago.
New cases of ROD are confirmed in a U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service lab in Hilo. The lab processes thousands of samples a year.
Rob Hauff, the state protection forester with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, told HPR that for the duration of the shutdown, the lab is not processing new samples.
"So that potentially delays a rapid response. If we find ROD in a new area, we won't know about it until the lab reopens," he said.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo may be able to take over some testing in an emergency capacity, according to the UH Mānoa Cooperative Extension Service.
Rob Hauff is the lead editor on the 2020-2024 Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Strategic Response Plan, and he anticipates an update to the plan will be released in November.
So far, federal agencies, namely the USDA and U.S. Geological Survey, have been important partners in the effort to preserve Hawaiʻi’s ʻōhiʻa forests. But Hauff said that amid broad cuts to climate research and environmental programs, it's uncertain whether federal support will continue.
"We haven't seen major impacts, but we are very concerned and communicating to the federal government the importance of these programs to the state of Hawaiʻi," he said.
Evolving protection measures
ROD infects an ‘ōhiʻa tree through some sort of wound in the tree's trunk or roots.
Without a wound as an access point, an ‘ōhiʻa tree will often be unaffected by ROD, even if the disease is widespread in the immediate area.
Feral animals like pigs, goats and deer tromp around the forest, damaging ‘ōhiʻa with their hooves and leaving the trees susceptible to ROD infections.
Therefore, constructing protective fences to keep ungulates out of native forests is one of the most effective strategies for reducing ‘ōhiʻa mortality.
However, Hauff said that fencing off all of our native forests isn't realistic.
"We do need to find new tools to protect our ‘ōhiʻa forest," he said.
One area of research that shows promise is the cultivation of ‘ōhiʻa lineages that have a natural resistance to ROD.
The Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests on Hawaiʻi Island, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, runs the ʻŌhiʻa Disease Resistance Program.
Specialists with the program collect ‘ōhiʻa seeds across Hawaiʻi Island, take them back to their facility in Hilo for propagation, and then intentionally expose them to ROD to see which seedlings survive.
"We're kind of growing gladiator ‘ōhiʻas," said Ryan Belcher, the program's coordinator. "Some of them get slaughtered, but the best will rise, and the best will be the foundation of the next forest."
JB Friday, the extension forester with the University of Hawaiʻi Cooperative Extension Service, said that replanting ROD-resistant ‘ōhiʻa trees in areas of forest that have already been decimated by ROD could be an important part of the state's restoration strategy.
But he added that it's not a substitute for preserving the health of our current forests.
"We're not going to realistically replant hundreds of millions of ‘ōhiʻa trees," he said. "It's not like you're going to smoke your whole life and then get a lung transplant. It's better if you quit smoking now."
Above and beyond the forests
ROD is just one of the threats that imperil ‘ōhiʻa. Pests, wildfires and deforestation are all likely to reduce ‘ōhiʻa forests in the coming years.
As native forests get smaller, the state’s climate goals also get further out of reach.
Hawaiʻi is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. ‘Ōhiʻa trees are excellent at absorbing carbon dioxide, and ʻōhiʻa-dominant forests make up about 40% of the above-ground forest carbon in Hawaiʻi.
When ʻōhiʻa trees die, they eventually release their stores of carbon back into the atmosphere. And when ʻōhiʻa forests disappear and are replaced by invasive species like Himalayan ginger and clidemia, the carbon storage potential of Hawaiʻi's natural environment declines.
Friday said that whether Hawaiʻi’s native forests can help the state meet its 2045 climate goal depends on what action people take now.
"If we really put the time, the effort, the commitment into protecting our forests, they'll keep on sequestering carbon," he said.
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