What is Kauri Dieback?
Kauri Dieback is a disease that lives in the soil and infects Kauri roots. If it infected a seedling it could kill that seedling in about 2 months but with a fully grown Kauri tree it could take up to ten years!
More About the disease
Kauri dieback can kill kauri of all ages. It’s a disease caused by a microscopic fungus-like organism, called Phytophthora agathidicida (PA). It lives in the soil and as I said before it infects Kauri roots, damaging the tissues that carry nutrients and water within the tree, effectively starving it to death.
The good news...
Tane Mahuta is NOT infected by the Kauri dieback so far and there has been no symptoms that D.O.C have seen. !YAY! If there are any signs of Kauri dieback on Tane mahuta or any other Kauri trees infected D.O.C members will inject it with a special substance which will hopefully help get rid of this nasty disease.
The Bad news
There is currently no proven cure or treatment and pretty much ALL infected Kauri DIE!
What this terrible disease look like?
Kauri dieback kinda looks like a mix between an icicle and a fungus but that is just my opinion.
What you can do to help stop the spread?
- Clean all soil off your footwear and other gear every time you enter or leave an area with native trees, and at every cleaning station.
- Use disinfectant only after you've removed all the soil.
- Stay on track and off Kauri roots. A Kauri’s roots can grow outwards 3 times as far as its branches.
- Spread the word within your networks on how to stop Kauri dieback
D.O.C work so so soooo hard to protect these amazing Kauri trees so please find a way to help out!
“The trees need us and we need the trees!”
By Ariana Burnett
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