Pine Wilt Disease in the Front Range 2.915
Pine wilt disease is a lethal wilting disease caused by the pine wilt nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus; PWN) PWN causes rapid wilting and mortality in susceptible host trees, typically Pinus species exotic to the US, including Scots (P. sylvestris) and Austrian (P. nigra) pines. Damage from PWN varies based on host species and environmental conditions especially temperature and moisture. PWN is thought to be endemic to the U.S. and has caused widespread damage to forested landscapes where it has been introduced including Europe, Japan, South Korea, and China. In the US, the westward movement of PWN has been tracked through Missouri and Kansas since 1979.