- I-Associated Press
Kubhalwe: 10 / 4 / 2010
Inyuvesi yaseCalifornia, ososayensi baseBerkeley bacela usizo lomphakathi ekulandeleni isifo esibulala izihlahla ze-oki.
Eminyakeni emibili edlule, ososayensi bebethembele ezakhamuzini ukuthi ziqoqe amasampula ezihlahla bese bezithumela e-Forest Pathology and Mycology Laboratory yasenyuvesi. Basebenzise ulwazi ukwenza imephu ehlela ukusabalala kokufa kwe-oki kungazelelwe.
I-pathogen engaqondakali yatholwa okokuqala e-Mill Valley ngo-1995 futhi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi isibulale amashumi ezinkulungwane zezihlahla enyakatho ye-California naseningizimu ye-Oregon. Ososayensi balinganisela ukuthi lesi sifo, esisakazwa ngezitshalo namanzi atholakala kuzo, singabulala cishe amaphesenti angu-90 ezihlahla ze-oki eziphilayo zaseCalifornia phakathi neminyaka engu-25.
Iphrojekthi yokwenza imephu, exhaswe yi-US Forest Service, ingumzamo wokuqala osekelwe emphakathini wokulwa nokufa okungazelelwe kwe-oki. Ibinabahlanganyeli abangaba ngu-240 abaqoqa amasampula angaphezu kwenkulungwane ngonyaka odlule, kusho uMatteo Garbelotto, udokotela wezifo zamahlathi e-UC Berkeley kanye nochwepheshe wesizwe ohamba phambili ngokufa kwe-oki kungazelelwe.
"Lokhu kuyingxenye yesixazululo," uGarbelotto etshela iSan Francisco Chronicle. "Uma sifundisa futhi sibandakanya abanikazi bezakhiwo ngabanye, singenza umehluko omkhulu ngempela."
Uma indawo ehlaselwe isibonakalisiwe, abanikazi bezindlu bangasusa izihlahla zokusingatha, okungase kwenyuse izinga lokusinda kwe-oki cishe ngokuphindwe kashumi. Izakhamizi nazo ziyanxuswa ukuthi zingenzi imisebenzi emikhulu engaphazamisa umhlabathi nezihlahla ngesikhathi lina ngoba lokho kungasiza ekubhebhethekeni kwalesi sifo.
"Umphakathi ngamunye othola ukuthi ufe ngokuzumayo kwe-oki endaweni yawo kufanele uthi, 'Hhayi kungcono ngenze okuthile,' ngoba ngesikhathi ubona ukuthi izihlahla ziyafa, sekudlule isikhathi," kusho uGarbelotto.
Chofoza lapha ukuze uthole i-athikili egcwele ngemizamo kaBerkeley yokulandelela Ukufa kwe-Oak Okuzumayo.