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Hawaii News

Quick-killing ohia fungus detected on Kauai for first time

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KAUAI INVASIVE SPECIES COMMITTEE

Forestry officials Dec. 17 confirmed for the first time the presence of C. lukuohia, a deadly fungus that can kill ohia trees in a matter of weeks. Browning, brittle limbs on an ohia tree on Kauai are indicators of rapid ohia death. Forestry officials are trying to determine how the deadly fungus, first spotted on the Big Island, spread to the Garden Island.

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KAUAI INVASIVE SPECIES COMMITTEE

Teams from the Kauai Rapid Ohia Death Working Group surveyed forests and conducted mobile sketch mapping to confirm the presence of rapid ohia death in Kauai forests.

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KAUAI INVASIVE SPECIES COMMITTEE

The browning crowns of ohia trees on Kauai infected by rapid ohia death can be seen in this aerial photograph.

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KAUAI INVASIVE SPECIES COMMITTEE

Bark samples taken from ohia trees on Kauai. Forestry officials Dec. 17 confirmed for the first time the presence of C. lukuohia, a deadly fungus that can kill ohia trees in a matter of weeks.