Okay, this next one? It terrifies me, allow me to introduce a monstrous disease, Ramorum Blight and Dieback, also known as sudden oak death. Currently it is confined to California and Oregon and it will hopefully remain so, this blog entry does not have a “control” entry as sudden oak death does not have any controls. The only thing that is effective is quarantine, cutting down entire forests in order to stop its spread. Though it is called sudden oak death the disease is not confined to oaks, it was in fact first discovered on rhododendrons in California. Currently all known instances have been eradicated ecept for a single research nursery which searches for cures or controls for this disease.
Sudden Oak Death is actually a fungal infection caused by Phytophthora ramorum (P. ramorum). It has different effects on different hosts, for example, the infected rhododendron was marked only by dark brown/black lesions rimmed with a fuzzy lighter brown margin, while on oaks it causes the rapid dieback of the tree, the leaves turn brown and die and the oak starves to death.
Lookign at this pest I am worried, I am glad that it is currently confined in the states and I would be enternally grateful if they were to stop the spread oft he disease any further and eradicate it by default when all of the infested plants have been eradicated and the funus has nowhere else to spread, so heres hoping.
