General Meetings

General Meeting ● Thursday, November 14, 2019

Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen responsible for Sudden Oak Death, garnered international attention upon its discovery in the summer of 2000. But thanks to genetic information collected from around our state, we now know that the pathogen has been in California since the 1980-1990s. From the forests of Monterey County along the Central Coast, to Del Norte County in northern California, the pathogen behaves quite differently throughout its range. And as decades pass and the possibility of large-scale eradication seems out of reach, we continue to witness the transformation of our forests.

Many researchers hope that recent findings in Vietnam could yield new insight into resistance mechanisms for our local tree species. Meanwhile, another lineage of P. ramorum recently arrived in the Pacific Northwest instilling fear that hybridization or mutation of an already virulent generalist pathogen could allow for expansion into new ecosystems. The latest SOD discoveries, hopes, and concerns will be shared in Kerri’s presentation.

Kerri Frangioso has been studying Sudden Oak Death throughout California since 2000. As a Staff Research Associate for UC Davis’ Plant Pathology lab, she coordinates research predominantly in the Big Sur area but also throughout coastal California. For the last ten years, Kerri has offered classes on the diagnosis and management of SOD through the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District at Garland Ranch Regional Park.

Visiting and Book Purchasing from 7:00 pm
Meeting and Program begin at 7:30 pm
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History