Authors:

Mark T Crooks

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About Paper:

While 'ohi'a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is the most abundant tree on the Hawaiian Islands, comprising 80% of the native forests, this tree has recently faced mortality due to a novel fungal pathogen called Rapid 'Ohi'a Death (ROD). Understanding the mechanisms underlying the tree's ability to resist ROD is critical for its survival and restoration efforts. One trait potentially underlying resistance is nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) reserves, which are the sugars and starch that trees store and then remobilize to support metabolic functions during typical and stressful conditions. We quantified sugar and starch concentrations throughout 'ohi'a lehua trees (n=9) over the course of one year (February 2024-February 2025). In addition, we tracked flowering patterns from trail camera images to relate this carbon-demanding process to NSC dynamics. Overall, our work will improve our understanding of how 'ohi'a lehua trees store and use their NSCs throughout the year and will help to identify times of the year when the trees may be most vulnerable to ROD. Ongoing efforts will focus on understanding how 'ohi'a lehua trees respond to drought stress. This information will both add to the collective knowledge on the species as well as provide key insights into 'ohi'a lehua trees' responses to combined abiotic and biotic stress. Keywords: Ohi'a lehua; Rapid 'Ohi'a Death; Nonstructural Carbohydrates; Hawaiian Islands

Source:

Purdue University / 2025

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Co-authors:

Mark T Crooks