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I wonder if they'll find any hope with those trees left unscathed that are deemed "resistant." Also, with something like this, how do they remove the trees wit
by shostack 11y ago
I wonder if they'll find any hope with those trees left unscathed that are deemed "resistant."
Also, with something like this, how do they remove the trees without the disease spreading in the process? I know when I go to prune bits of my roses that have black spot or rust, it can spread just by contact in the course of removal which can be damn near impossible to avoid. I can only imagine how that scales at tree size.
- mathattack 11y agoI was thinking the same - eventually resistance develops.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- MikeHolman 11y agoMaybe, but we've seen some plant diseases pretty much eradicate the original species without them developing resistance. For example, the Panama disease (despite the massive resources of the banana industry) devastated the Gros Michel, and is now killing off the Cavendish. Another example is phylloxera, which plagued Vitis vinifera (European grape) vines in the 1800s. And to this day, the only solution is to hybridize or graft them with American rootstock.
- shaftway 11y agoBut that's because there is zero genetic diversity in the Gros Michel and Cavendish plants. None. They're all clones. You need some form of diversity to develop resistance.
- DanBC 11y ago> I wonder if they'll find any hope with those trees left unscathed that are deemed "resistant." Something similar has happened with Ash Die Back in the UK with a resistant tree named Betty. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-36110639 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-36110639 Here's a bit about Ash dieback: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35876621 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35876621
- djsumdog 11y agoI was thinking the remaining trees will just spread and the dead ones will feed the ecosystem. The danger of course is forest fires. So long as nothing catches fire, the system can continue to build upon the non-resistant trees.
- shostack 11y agoWhile forest fires could be a risk, could those also be beneficial to the affected areas? For example, I wonder how well this disease stands up to heat.
- pixl97 11y agoThat is only assuming that resistance is a passed genetic trait. There is also the opening of the canopy which allows to varieties of invasive species in so the old varieties can never establish a major foothold again.