Red bay and Sassafrass trees may become extinct?

[BrandonTN]

http://www.picayuneitem.com/local/local_story_293113625.html


Anyone heard anything else about this?

[fishpharmer]

Thanks BrandonTN, First I heard of it.  I will inquire and find out more.  I know where a good stand of red bay is and a few scattered sassafras. 

[Tom]

We are taking a big hit on Red Bay around here.  There are so many dead trees that cutting them down isn't even much of an option.  I have plans to use mine to cook with when I get a chainsaw I can depend on.

I've hunted high and low for more information from the USDA the Ag Departments of the South East Southern States and schools. Everybody is ignoring telling the public anything.  I'm thinking that no one knows what to do.  We still have some really young trees growing in the shadows but the big mature ones are gone.

Here is a thread I started on the subject some time ago.

[beenthere]

Chapin said the National Forest Service is so concerned about it that it has funded a $25,000 grant to Mississippi State scientist Dr. John Riggins to lead a study on what damage the beetle is doing to Mississippi trees and what can be done to combat the outbreak.

It takes a crisis to get research funds, and this looks like another one. Maybe it will put a lot of people to work. 

[WDH]

Bark beetles are tough customers to deal with because it is impossible to economically control them.  Looks like that they are going to have their way, and we will have to wait and see what happens.  Pine has adapted to deal with them somewhat, but they can still be devastating like the recent outbreak of mountain pine beetle in western North America.

[Tom]

What we need is for someone to come up with a delicacy of Bark Beetle Jelly, or discover that they can be used to replace Pepper and also have age rejuvenating properties.   They'll be endangered in no time. 

[J.Hercules]

If you read to the bottom of the article that BrandonTN referenced I'll bet I-10 which begins in Jacksonville, FL., is how the bettle made the jump to Mississippi.  Even all the Agriclulture inspection stations in Florida couldn't catch a few odd fire logs in a pickup zooming down the interstate.  I was in attendance at a continuing Ed seminar given by the University of GA and the Georgia Forestry Commission two weeks ago and the concern now is that if the beetle reaches the sassafras belt and sassafras is suspectable we will have a major problem.  Currently in the coastal plain of Georgia red bay is being wiped out two to three counties in from the coast.  Of note is that the camphor trees which are invasives from Japan & China and a member of Lauraceous, have not been affected.  One possible reason is the high aromatic nature of the wood.  If this is the case maybe Sassafras will have similar sucess in repelling the beetle -- Naturaly this is totally unscientific just blind hope.   

[WDH]

Here in central GA, my red bay trees are still doing OK.  I wonder how long it will take for the infestation to get here?

[zopi]

the sassafrass in my fence rows is Good to Go...smoked some really good bacon with it the other day...

[ncsuclell]

According to what I have learned, there is a fungicide that can make a tree immune for about 2 yrs.  It is very expensive (~$1,500/qt) and time consuming. We were thinking about getting it, but it was just too expensive. I'm not sure of the name of the product but the label does not allow for this use.  So until the government changes the label, you have to get special permission to use it.  Currently in FL the concern is not for the redbays or sassafrass but for the avacado industry.  So there is some movement to get the fungicide labeled for avacado trees.  If anyone is interested I can track down the name of the product and the exact cost.  I didn't run point on the projest so I don't know all the specifics.

[Tom]

Welcome to the forum, ncsuclell

[ncsuclell]

Thank you.  I never knew this forum was here, but I like many of your discussions.

[letemgrow]

so another devastating, invasive disease was brought over from another country....will this every end???  Apparently not!!!

[Tom]

I wonder if we can ever keep our environment the same.  It's not just humans that bring this stuff in and out, but migratory birds, fish, hurricanes.   If the dust of the African deserts can reach the USA, so can a fungal spore.   It's probably just a matter of time before everything gets everywhere   We just hasten it.  Maybe the natural way allows some defense or the percentages for survival go way down.

[fishpharmer]

Tom, you make a very good point. 

[Ron Wenrich]

I remember my profs telling me 40 years ago that all disease will be universal.  Nothing new.  Earthworms were brought over by the settlers.  So were lots of other diseases that man carried.  The impact is felt quicker due to man's mobility. 

[WDH]

Man is the cause of the spread.  Before intercontinental travel many centuries ago, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, etc. were isolated and had unique animal and plant communities.

The disease that the Spainards brought to the New World killed 90% of all the native americans in just a few decades.  Before the spainards brought small pox, everything was in balance.  They also re-introduced the horse and brought a ruthless hunger for gold.

No place is safe anymore from invasion because man created the pathways for the invasive plants and animals to pioneer new areas.

[Tom]

So.....  It's all Christopher Columbus' fault.   That scallywag!

[Gary_C]

No Tom, it actually was Isabella's fault. Rumor has it that Isabella sent Chris out Christmas shopping for some spices and other goodies in India. He then took what he thought was a shortcut to the mall in India and ended up in the Bahamas. 

[Tom]

So-o!   It was Isabella who was the first Bahama Mama