Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death spurs new UH video on saving native forests

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa launched a new educational video emphasizing community collaboration in the fight against the devastating Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) that threatens Hawaiʻi’s native forests.

The video, “Protecting Hawaii’s Native Forests,” features a diverse range of voices, including forest managers, biologists, hunters and Hawaiian cultural practitioners from Hawaiʻi Island. It highlights the deep relationship these individuals have with the forest and underscores the importance of mutual respect and partnership in effective conservation efforts.

Understanding the threat

Native ʻōhiʻa trees make up approximately 80% of Hawaiʻi’s native forest canopy. These forests are vital to the state’s ecosystem, playing an essential role in protecting watersheds, recharging aquifers, and preventing soil erosion and flooding. Unfortunately, the fungi responsible for ROD continue to decimate ʻōhiʻa populations across the islands. The fungi, Ceratocystis lukuohia and C. huliohia, typically enter trees through wounds or injuries.

A significant cause of these wounds is feral hoofed animals, such as wild cattle and pigs, which create entry points for the deadly fungus by stripping bark, digging up roots and gashing trees with their tusks. While other factors such as windstorms can also cause injury, the impact of feral ungulates is a manageable threat.

J.B. Friday, the extension forester with the Cooperative Extension program of UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), emphasized the importance of proactive work. 

“The knowledge that fencing and excluding hoofed animals will help us protect native forests is a real game-changer in our efforts to combat ROD,” Friday said.

Continued access to native forests

The video also clarifies that fencing initiatives are designed to protect the forest, not to restrict community or hunter access. It explains that access points at state forests are equipped with gates and stiles to ensure continued public use. It notes that while almost all state forests are open to hunting, hunting is generally not permitted in National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges, regardless of fencing.

Funding for the video was provided by the Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation through the work of the Coordinating Group on Invasive Pest Species. For more information about ROD and ongoing efforts to protect Hawaiʻi’s native forests, visit rapidohiadeath.org.