From Asia Pulse via Yahooo News
The rapid spread of pine wilt disease in South Korea could see up to the country's 30 per cent of trees vanish by 2112, a report by the Korea Forest Service said Monday.
The state agency said that pinewood nematode, a pathogen carried by pine sawyer beetles, is fast taking root, despite government efforts to spray forest land with insecticides and measures to ban the cutting and transferral of diseased pines.
Pine trees account for 30 per cent of trees growing in South Korea, according to data from the service.
It said a special law clarifying and enforcing a nationwide move to prevent the spread of the disease will be enacted within the year, while regular aerial observations will be carried out on forest land surrounding affected areas.
Pine wilt disease occurs when sawyer beetles feed on the bark of susceptible trees or when the female beetles lay eggs in freshly cut timber or dying trees.
Once introduced to the tree, the 0.6-1 millimeter-long nematodes can reproduce rapidly and cut off the flow of moisture given favorable conditions, causing the host to wilt and die within weeks.
In lieu of an effective treatment, affected trees must be incinerated to kill the pathogen buried inside.
The pathogen is native to North America and caused serious problems in Japan, China and Taiwan when those countries imported wood products in the past.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said that 4,961 hectares of forest in South Korea were devastated by pine wilt disease in 2004, up 47.3 per cent from the previous year.
The disease was first detected in Busan, the country's second largest city located on the southeastern coast, before spreading north to North Gyeongsang Province and cities like Pohang and Gyeongju. It was also found in Jeju Island off the nation's south coast.
Ministry experts predict it could move up the peninsula and afflict the entire country given enough time.
"The best form of defense is to get people to report pine trees that die of wilting as soon as possible," said a ministry official.
He said rewards will be offered to encourage greater vigilance from the public and military personnel will be drafted to help cut down and destroy trees that seem to be dying of wilting.
