A fungus is spreading through the Everglades killing off countless trees. It’s wreaking havoc in this delicate ecosystem and scientists have said there’s no way to stop it.
‘Laurel wilt’ is a fungus transmitted by beetles. It’s been quickly killing swamp bay and red bay trees throughout much of the South since 2002.
Now, scientists have said the beetles are infecting healthy trees throughout the River of Grass. They’ve said the infestation has been spurred by a lack of natural resistance in the swampland’s trees and the beetle’s high reproduction rate.
Jason Smith, a forest pathology expert at the University of Florida, said this invasive beetle hails from Southeast Asia and likely made its way to Georgia over a decade ago thanks to international trade.
Smith said the loss of these canopy trees is going to have a severe impact on ecosystems across the Southeast—and especially the Everglades.
“This is going to be something that is going to have to be dealt with because the tree islands are something that are very, very important to the entire ecosystem,” Smith said. “They are very important for the ecological processes that take place in the Everglades. They are very important for the wildlife—biodiversity.”
Smith said because the beetles are so small and widespread, it will be impossible to kill them off and stop the fungus. He warned once the fungus kills off the swamp bay trees, invasive plants will likely take their place. Smith said restoration efforts in the Everglades will have to address that.
He recommends planting a native species or laurel wilt-resistant swamp bay trees in their place. This fall, Smith will be part of a research team that will collect samples from the Everglades, in the hopes of propagating a resistant tree. State officials also announced plans to monitor the tree islands in the Everglades.
