[Presentation]: Oak Wilt: Deadly But Manageable Disease

“I don’t know of any pathogen of oak–or any tree–that’s as virulent as this particular fungus.  It’s capable of killing the largest oak within 30 days.”

That’s the bad news about the oak wilt fungus, according to Dr. William MacDonald, Professor at West Virginia University’s Division of Plant and Soil Sciences.  The good news is that it’s not disseminated very effectively, so an active management plan (like the one the City of Pittsburgh and the Parks Conservancy put into play last year) can significantly reduce its impact on our forests.  Listen to Dr. MacDonald’s full presentation by clicking the video link below, or download the slides minus audio here.