EVENTS

Webinar Details:

Title:

On the Front Lines: Understanding and Adapting to Introduced Ceratocystis manginecans in Palau

Webinar Description:

Ceratocystis-related tree diseases have been increasing across Asia over the past two decades, affecting wild forests, orchards, and plantation systems. These diseases are caused by closely related fungal pathogens that are difficult to distinguish and can infect a wide range of tree species, often behaving differently from one country to the next. Growing evidence suggests that one species, Ceratocystis manginecans, plays a major role in many of these outbreaks, likely spreading internationally through multiple introductions and adapting to new hosts as it moves.

In the Pacific, this pathogen has now been detected in the Republic of Palau, where it is causing widespread dieback of the endemic udeuid tree (Manilkara udoido). First observed in 2021 near development areas on Babeldaob Island, the disease has since been found across broader forested landscapes, raising urgent questions about how it spreads, what hosts it may affect, and how best to respond in a resource-limited setting. The investigation has combined field observations of tree decline with laboratory work and collaboration among the Ebiil Society, U.S. Forest Service Forest Health Protection, and research partners to identify the pathogen and understand its behavior in a new environment.

This webinar will share what is currently known about this emerging forest pathogen in Palau and place it in the broader context of forest health threats across the Pacific and beyond. It will also explore key challenges moving forward, including how to build awareness and capacity, strengthen biosecurity between islands, and prepare for a future where new and unfamiliar forest diseases may become increasingly common.

Speaker details:

Jason Johnson is a Plant Pathologist and forest health specialist currently working for the Ebiil Society, a local nonprofit in the Republic of Palau. During his time in Palau, Jason has also been affiliated with Region 5 Forest Health Protection and the Palau Division of Forest, Water, and Land Management. Jason maintains a formal relationship with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands where he worked for 20 years as a Forester and Area Manager prior to coming to Palau. He obtained a BS in Forest Management at Utah State University before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia. Jason has a Master’s degree in Plant Pathology from Iowa State University, where he researched the North American clade of the Ceratocystis fimbriata species complex with Dr. Thomas Harrington. Throughout his career Jason has maintained an interest in forest health and the roles of disturbance agents such as fire, storms, avalanches, insects, and disease in native and managed forests.

Dr. Kylle Roy is a Forest Entomologist for the Forest Health Protection Branch of the Forest Service, serving Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands based at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Kylle is a native Hawaiian, born and raised on Oʻahu, with a masters in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Sciences from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and a PhD from Purdue University. Her work encompasses native and invasive insect monitoring and technology development in Hawai’i and the Pacific.