00:01
Let's discuss chestnut blight.
00:05
So chestnut blight was accidentally introduced to north america around 1904 when cryphonactria parasitica was introduced to the united states from east asia, possibly more likely from the cultivation of japanese chestnut trees in the u .s.
00:24
For commercial purposes.
00:26
So it was first discovered on the grounds of the new york zoological garden.
00:30
Or the bronx zoo by a forester who worked at the zoo.
00:36
In 1905, an american mycologist known as william murrill isolated and described the fungus responsible.
00:46
He demonstrated basically by inoculating healthy plants that the fungus caused the disease.
00:55
And by 1940, most mature american chestnut trees had been wiped out by the disease.
01:00
So here's what that disease looks like on the tree.
01:07
So again, it just appeared in numerous places due to the introduction of the japanese chestnut, which was a very popular import.
01:18
Both japanese and chinese chestnut trees do have a resistance to infection by the parasite...