persuasive writing

Kauri Dieback

Kauri Dieback is a disease that affects kauri trees and Over the past ten years, a pathogen called Phytophthora agathidicida (fi-tof-thor-ah agatha-dis-id-ah) (PA) has spread through New Zealand’s kauri forests. It causes a disease called kauri dieback, which is unique to kauri, currently incurable, and almost always fatal.

     “If the kauri die out, everything in our forest will be affected,” says Will Ngakuru of Te Roroa iwi. Te Roroa are the kaitiaki of Waipoua Forest, where Tāne Mahuta stands. “In our iwi, we believe that we belong to the forest and the forest belongs to us. We need to do whatever it takes to protect the Waipoua Forest from PA.”

     Te Roar are not alone. Scientists, government.

hytophthora literally means “plant destroyer”. It refers to a category of tiny water moulds that live in the soil and enter plants through their roots. From there, they damage the tissues that carry nutrients within the plant, causing it to slowly starve to death.

     Phytophthora was detected in kauri on Great Barrier Island in the 1970s and has since spread to Auckland, Northland, and the Coromandel. In 2008, scientists identified the unique type of Phytophthora targeting kauri as Phytophthora agathidicida and labelled the disease kauri dieback.