The insect from southeast Asia carries a fungus that causes laurel wilt, a disease deadly to trees. It has decimated swamp bay trees across 330,000 acres in the Everglades since the condition was first identified in 2011, and it shows no signs of stopping. According to The Associated Press, the redbay ambrosia beetle likely entered the United States through a shipment of wood packaging.
The blight threatens to lay waste to the billion-dollar projects aimed at restoring the region. From a bird’s eye view and even from the highway that cuts through the fragile wetlands, one can easily make out the dried-up gray and brown trees, reports the news agency.
The future looks even grimmer. Exotic plants that may overrun the Everglades as a result of the devastation of swamp bays can fuel fires. Also, they’re not a source of food for native wildlife. The plants’ roots can damage the homes of endangered species in the area. According to the National Research Council, about 16 percent of the Everglades’ greenery isn’t native.
“We already have these problems with invasives that are almost too daunting. When you add laurel wilt to the mix, it’s only going to get worse,” Everglades National Park chief of biology Tylan Dean told the AP.
The South Florida Water Management District, the agency managing the restoration of the Everglades, has promised to ramp up efforts to monitor and maintain the swamp bay trees.
“It’s amazing how much of an impact this one little tiny beetle that’s no bigger than Lincoln’s nose on a penny has done,” Jason Smith, a forest pathology expert at the University of Florida, told the AP. “And it continues to spread.”
This summer he plans to gather samples of the surviving trees, hoping to propagate fungus-resistant seedlings to keep their population alive.
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