Chestnut Blight
Chestnut blight altered the hardwood forests of the eastern United States perhaps more than any other forest disease. Its history in the US starts around 1900 when it was acidentally introduced. The biology of the fungus is such that it spreads and kills trees rapidly, although the trees can persist from root sprouts. Chestnuts, once dominant in the eastern United States and very dominant in the southern Appalachians, are all but removed from the ecosystem. Several different restoration techniques are being researched and developed but the potential success of these techniques remains in question. Several other exotic pests also affect the American chestnut. Some chestnuts have shown varying degrees of blight resistance but environmental factors, such as air pollution, can diminish any resistance.
Encyclopedia ID: p1410
