Sudden Oak Death Pathogen

The same microbe that is killing off oak trees in California may also be damaging to Coastal Redwoods, according to researchers at the University of California – Berkeley and UC – Davis. The

“Sudden Oak Death” pathogen has killed tens of thousands of oak trees since 1995. Along with killing three species of coastal oaks, the microbe—a contagious fungus related to the organism responsible for the potato famine in Ireland in the mid-1800s—affects rhododendrons, California bay laurel, madrone, and several other species. If damage to redwoods is confirmed, it will be the first occurrence of the microbe in a conifer, and it could prove very damaging both to California’s timber industry (redwood accounts for about 25% of timber sales) and to the state’s coastal forest ecosystem.