Earthquakes
EMSC Poland
Apr 15 23:44 PM
3.5 10.0 MAP
EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 15 23:30 PM
2.5 10.0 MAP
EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 15 22:58 PM
2.9 19.0 MAP
USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 22:27 PM
4.4 30.7 MAP
EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 22:27 PM
4.4 31.0 MAP
EMSC Greece
Apr 15 22:00 PM
3.0 10.0 MAP
GEONET Canterbury
Apr 15 21:41 PM
2.7 10.0 MAP
EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 15 21:26 PM
3.0 8.0 MAP
USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 15 20:26 PM
3.3 53.8 MAP
GEOFON Banda Sea
Apr 15 19:59 PM
4.3 244.0 MAP
USGS Central Alaska
Apr 15 19:45 PM
3.7 78.4 MAP
USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 15 19:16 PM
3.4 95.0 MAP
EMSC Romania
Apr 15 19:11 PM
2.5 76.0 MAP
GEOFON Santa Cruz Islands
Apr 15 19:10 PM
4.5 46.0 MAP
EMSC Java, Indonesia
Apr 15 18:22 PM
4.7 67.0 MAP
USGS Sunda Strait, Indonesia
Apr 15 18:22 PM
4.5 60.0 MAP
GEOFON Java, Indonesia
Apr 15 18:22 PM
4.6 58.0 MAP
EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 15 18:08 PM
3.0 5.0 MAP
USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 15 16:57 PM
2.6 112.1 MAP
USGS Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii
Apr 15 16:52 PM
2.7 2.7 MAP
USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 15 16:49 PM
2.7 104.7 MAP
EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 16:35 PM
4.2 55.0 MAP
GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 16:35 PM
4.4 41.0 MAP
USGS Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 16:35 PM
4.5 43.1 MAP
EMSC Lebanon – Syria Region
Apr 15 15:43 PM
3.0 0.0 MAP
EMSC Strait Of Gibraltar
Apr 15 15:06 PM
3.0 40.0 MAP
USGS Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 14:29 PM
4.5 65.0 MAP
EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 14:29 PM
4.5 65.0 MAP
EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 13:57 PM
5.1 30.0 MAP
USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 13:57 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP
GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 13:57 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP
EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 12:30 PM
4.5 15.0 MAP
USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 12:30 PM
4.5 14.7 MAP
GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 12:30 PM
4.6 10.0 MAP
EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 12:15 PM
4.2 10.0 MAP
USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 12:15 PM
4.2 10.0 MAP
GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 12:15 PM
4.4 10.0 MAP
USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 15 11:37 AM
2.5 15.6 MAP
GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 11:05 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP
EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 15 10:44 AM
2.5 15.0 MAP
USGS Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 10:36 AM
4.7 30.7 MAP
GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 10:36 AM
4.6 10.0 MAP
EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 15 10:36 AM
4.7 10.0 MAP
EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 15 10:30 AM
3.3 6.0 MAP
EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 10:20 AM
4.5 15.0 MAP
USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 10:20 AM
4.5 15.0 MAP
EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 09:51 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP
USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 09:50 AM
4.9 14.4 MAP
GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 15 09:50 AM
5.0 10.0 MAP
EMSC Turkey-syria Border Region
Apr 15 09:46 AM
2.5 6.0 MAP
GEOFON Flores Region, Indonesia
Apr 15 09:33 AM
4.2 168.0 MAP
USGS Flores Region, Indonesia
Apr 15 09:33 AM
4.5 182.0 MAP
EMSC Flores Region, Indonesia
Apr 15 09:33 AM
4.5 182.0 MAP
EMSC Seram, Indonesia
Apr 15 08:14 AM
4.5 44.0 MAP
USGS Seram, Indonesia
Apr 15 08:14 AM
4.3 52.9 MAP
GEOFON Seram, Indonesia
Apr 15 08:14 AM
4.4 27.0 MAP
EMSC Hokkaido, Japan Region
Apr 15 08:05 AM
4.5 49.0 MAP
GEOFON Hokkaido, Japan Region
Apr 15 08:05 AM
4.5 39.0 MAP
USGS Hokkaido, Japan Region
Apr 15 08:05 AM
4.4 45.5 MAP
USGS Central California
Apr 15 07:10 AM
2.8 8.9 MAP
EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 15 06:08 AM
3.4 10.0 MAP
USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 05:57 AM
6.2 15.2 MAP
EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 05:57 AM
6.2 10.0 MAP
GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 05:57 AM
6.2 10.0 MAP
GEOFON Mexico-guatemala Border Region
Apr 15 05:32 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP
USGS Tabasco, Mexico
Apr 15 05:32 AM
4.6 19.1 MAP
EMSC Tabasco, Mexico
Apr 15 05:32 AM
4.4 15.0 MAP
EMSC Romania
Apr 15 04:54 AM
2.6 2.0 MAP
EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 15 04:45 AM
3.6 60.0 MAP
GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 04:28 AM
4.2 10.0 MAP
USGS Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Apr 15 04:06 AM
4.8 13.5 MAP
GEOFON Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Apr 15 04:06 AM
5.0 10.0 MAP
EMSC Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Apr 15 04:06 AM
5.0 10.0 MAP
USGS Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
Apr 15 04:04 AM
3.0 110.5 MAP
GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 03:21 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP
GEOFON Tajikistan
Apr 15 02:57 AM
4.4 146.0 MAP
EMSC Tajikistan
Apr 15 02:57 AM
4.3 148.0 MAP
EMSC Eastern Kazakhstan
Apr 15 02:56 AM
3.4 2.0 MAP
GEOFON Northern East Pacific Rise
Apr 15 02:49 AM
4.2 10.0 MAP
EMSC Northern East Pacific Rise
Apr 15 02:48 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP
USGS Northern East Pacific Rise
Apr 15 02:48 AM
4.4 9.9 MAP
GEONET Canterbury
Apr 15 02:46 AM
2.8 5.0 MAP
GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 02:44 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP
EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 02:44 AM
4.5 5.0 MAP
USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 15 02:44 AM
4.3 11.0 MAP
EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 15 02:35 AM
2.5 5.0 MAP
EMSC Turkey-iran Border Region
Apr 15 02:29 AM
2.9 2.0 MAP
USGS Central Alaska
Apr 15 02:22 AM
3.0 91.9 MAP
EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 15 02:05 AM
3.5 10.0 MAP
USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 15 00:59 AM
3.3 89.3 MAP
Energy and Earthquakes: A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On
In recent years oil and gas production has been on the rise in the United States. So have minor earth shakes. Is there a link?
A new study (PDF) by the U.S. Geological Survey fingers increased energy production in the midcontinental United States1 for the recent uptick in magnitude3 or higher2 earthquakes.
Earthquakes of Magnitude 3 or Greater Way Up in Recent Years
Just how much has seismicity increased? Here are the numbers of earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater over the past few decades:
| 1970-2000: | 21 3 |
| 2001-2008: | 29 3 |
| 2009: | 50 |
| 2010: | 87 |
| 2011: | 134 |
Considered “minor,” magnitude 3 quakes are rarely strong enough to do damage but typically large enough to be felt.
Interestingly, over the same period that the number of these types of quakes has been rising, the United States has seen a rather sizable increase in the extraction of oil and gas.
So is oil and gas production causing the uptick in the country’s shaking? Could it be that the increase in earthquakes is specifically tied to the growing practice of using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to release oil and gas from shale and other tight formations? And what about the high-pressure injection of wastewater from the production into geologic formations at a mile or more beneath the Earth’s surface?
Is the Recent Increase in Felt Earthquakes in the Central US Natural or Manmade?
By David J. Hayes, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior
Last week, following the publication of an abstract intended to preview an upcoming talk by a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist, a number of news articles started popping up about new scientific evidence of a link between unconventional oil and gas production here in the United States, and seismic activity (earthquakes).
Unfortunately – although not surprisingly given the limited information available in the abstract – the accuracy of these media reports varied greatly. With this blog post, I want to clarify a few points about USGS’s important and ongoing work to study induced seismicity.
Science will continue to play a critical role as the Obama administration moves forward with an all-of-the-above strategy for American energy. USGS’s contributions to this effort, including scientist Bill Ellsworth’s work on the correlation between wastewater injection sites and seismicity, represent an important part of the overall dialogue about how we can continue to expand domestic oil and gas production safely and responsibly.
Strong quake hits west Indonesia, no tsunami
April 15, 2012 11:13 GMT
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — Officials say a strong earthquake measuring magnitude 6.2 has struck off the coast of western Indonesia but there is no danger of a tsunami.
The U.S. Geological Survey says Sunday’s quake was centered about 400 miles (650 kilometers) southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, at a depth of 9 miles (15 kilometers).
Indonesian meteorological official Suharjono says there is no threat of a tsunami. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Two powerful quakes measuring magnitude 8.6 and 8.2 triggered a tsunami watch on Wednesday in more than two dozen nations and island territories, from Australia and India to as far off as Africa.
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Volcanic Activity
Increased Activity Reported For Two Volcanoes in Costa Rica
Rincón de la Vieja Rumbles
Thursday last the Turrialba sent experts scurrying to analyse the recent activity at the colossus souteast of San José. On Saturday, however, the Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, decided on a rumble of its own.
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It was around 2pm when residents heard the rumbles from the volanco located north of San José in the province of Guanacaste.
Maria Martinez, volcanologist from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), explained that the phreatic eruption occurred i the lake and spewed water and sediment over the outer edge on the north side of the volcano.
Authorities recommend not to approach the area and do not rule a new explosion.
The entrance to the national park is closed.
Both OVSICORI as the National Emergency Commission (CNE) will continue to closely monitor the volcano.
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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather
Drought in England could last beyond Christmas – agency
LONDON (Reuters) – A drought affecting parts of England could last until after Christmas, Britain’s environment agency warned on Monday, as rain over the spring and summer is unlikely to replenish low water levels.
In a country more usually associated with damp and drizzle, drought has been declared in seventeen counties in England’s southeast and central regions, after two dry winters left rivers and ground waters depleted.
Although public water supplies in these areas are unlikely to be affected, the lack of rain is taking its toll on the environment and farmers, causing problems for wildlife, wetlands and crop production, the agency said in a statement.
“A longer term drought, lasting until Christmas and perhaps beyond, now looks more likely and we are working with businesses, farmers and water companies to plan ahead to meet the challenges of a continued drought,” said Trevor Bishop, head of water resources at the Environment Agency.
Bishop urged the British public to conserve water supplies.
Images of umbrella-touting spectators at the often sodden summer tennis championship Wimbledon have reinforced Britain’s image as a rainy country.
In fact, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and other European countries have higher average annual rainfall than Britain.
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| Upd. | Date (UTC) | Event | Country | Location | Level | Details | |
| 15.04.2012 | Extreme Weather | Iran | Capital city, Tehran |  |
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| 15.04.2012 | Landslide | Vietnam | Province of Thai Nguyen, [Phan Me Mine] | |
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| 15.04.2012 | Hailstorm | Serbia | District of Rasina, Trstenik | |
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| 15.04.2012 | Complex Emergency | USA | State of Iowa, Des Moines | |
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| 1 | 16.04.2012 | Tornado | USA | State of Oklahoma , [Oklahoma-wide] |  |
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| 1 | 15.04.2012 | Tornado | USA | State of Kansas, [Russel region] | |
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| 1 | 15.04.2012 | Tornado | USA | State of Iowa, [Iowa-wide] | |
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Severe Thunderstorm Warning
CORPUS CHRISTI TX
Flood Warning
LITTLE ROCK AR TOPEKA KS QUAD CITIES IA IL LAKE CHARLES LA NEW ORLEANS BATON ROUGE LA SHREVEPORT LA SPRINGFIELD MO KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO ST LOUIS MO OMAHA/VALLEY NE
Flash Flood Warning
CORPUS CHRISTI TX
High Wind Warning
SIOUX FALLS SD ABERDEEN SD
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Storms
Midwest tornadoes: authorities say 5 dead in Okla.
By ROCHELLE HINES, Associated Press
Sunday, April 15, 2012
(04-15) 02:00 PDT Oklahoma City (AP) –
Tornadoes reported across the Midwest and Plains on Saturday and early Sunday left five people dead in Oklahoma and damaged houses, a hospital, a jail, an Air Force base and other buildings around the region, officials said.
Oklahoma authorities said five people died early Sunday after a tornado hit in and around the northwest Oklahoma town of Woodward. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Keli Cain said the state medical examiner’s office confirmed the fatalities in the Woodward area. She didn’t know the gender or age of the victims or details of their deaths.
Tornadoes Leave Significant Damage in Plains
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A large tornado captured in Woodward, Oklahoma Saturday night. More severe storms are expected to continue through Sunday. |
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Updated: April 15, 2012 at 9:30 p.m. E/T
Fast Facts
- 5 confirmed fatalities in Woodward, Oklahoma; 29 people were injured in the town and the tornado was rated a preliminary EF3 by the National Weather Service
- Thousands without power in Oklahoma and Kansas
- 75 percent of Thurman, Iowa destroyed; tornado that touched down was rated EF2 (wind speeds of up to 130 mph) with a path length of about 10 miles
- Tornado that hit Wichita, KS area rated a preliminary EF3, with some of the strongest damage observed at McConnell AFB
- Ottawa/Dickinson Counties: Preliminary EF1 tornado with winds of up to 100 mph
- Red Cross is focusing food and shelter efforts to impacted areas in Kansas, Iowa and Oklahoma. For shelter locations go to RedCross.org.
NWS Wichita: Prelim. EF4 #tornado near Kanopolis Lake, KS. A farmstead was decimated, trees stripped of bark, roads scoured.
Thurman , IA EF1/ EF2 damage. Only minor injuries with 6 minute warning. tout.com/m/3yakxs
Preliminary damage estimate in Sedgwick County/Wichita is $283 million. Will this end up being our second billion dollar disaster of 2012?
Latest from Woodward, Oklahoma
Meteorologist Eric Fisher in Woodward, Oklahoma. Out of Saturday’s 120+ tornado reports this was the only deadly tornado. Meteorologist Eric Fisher walks through some of the devastation that left homes and lives in shambles.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
Neighbors help neighbors recover
Storm Tracker Jim Cantore is in Thurman, Iowa. Officials say 75 percent of this small town of about 250 people was destroyed by a possible tornado. Cantore talks about the volunteer response to the disaster.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
Five dead in Oklahoma storms
Keli Cain with the Oklahoma Dept. of Emergency Management says five people have been killed in Oklahoma and many more are injured. Severe weather, including tornadoes, rolled through the state Saturday and early Sunday.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
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Radiation
Fuel Pool 35 Miles from Major American City –
which Is Highly Vulnerable to Earthquakes –
Contains More Radioactive Cesium than Released By Fukushima, Chernobyl and All Nuclear Bomb Tests COMBINED
Radioactive Fuel Fires: Not Just a Japanese Problem
The spent fuel pools at Fukushima are currently the top short-term threat to humanity.
But fuel pools in the United States store an average of ten times more radioactive fuel than stored at Fukushima, have virtually no safety features, and are vulnerable to accidents and terrorist attacks.
If the water drains out for any reason, it will cause a fire in the fuel rods, as the zirconium metal jacket on the outside of the fuel rods could very well catch fire within hours or days after being exposed to air. See this, this, this and this. (Even a large solar flare could knock out the water-circulation systems for the pools.)
The pools are also filling up fast, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission:
The New York Times notes that squeezing more rods into pools may increase the risk of fire:
The reactor operators have squeezed spent fuel more tightly into the pools, raising the heat load and, according to some analyses, raising the risk of fire if the pools were ever drained.
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Climate Change
Forget global warming: Scientists discover glaciers in Asian mountain range are actually getting BIGGER
By Ian Garland
Photos taken by a French satellite show glaciers in a mountain range west of the Himalayas have grown during the last decade.
The growing glaciers were found in the Karakoram range, which spans the borders between Pakistan, India and China and is home to the world’s second highest peak, K2.
The startling find has baffled scientists and comes at a time when glaciers in other parts of the region, and across the world, are shrinking.
Global cooling? Glaciers are growing in the Karakoram range, home to K2
French scientists from the National Centre for Scientific Research and the University of Grenoble, were forced to rely on satellite images, to study the region – because much of the Karakoram range is inaccessible.
They compared observations made in 1999 and 2008 and found a marginal mass increase.
They estimated the glaciers had gained between 0.11 and 0.22 metres of ice each year
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Solar Activity
2MIN News Apr15: Tornados, Earthquakes, Solar/Planetary Update
| Solar X-rays:Geomagnetic Field: | >
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From n3kl.org
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Wildlife
Loss of predators affecting ecosystem health
by Staff Writers
Corvallis, OR (SPX)
 In Idaho and Montana, hundreds of wolves are now being killed in an attempt to reduce ranching conflicts and increase game herd levels. |
A survey on the loss in the Northern Hemisphere of large predators, particularly wolves, concludes that current populations of moose, deer, and other large herbivores far exceed their historic levels and are contributing to disrupted ecosystems. The research, published by scientists from Oregon State University, examined 42 studies done over the past 50 years.
It found that the loss of major predators in forest ecosystems has allowed game animal populations to greatly increase, crippling the growth of young trees and reducing biodiversity. This also contributes to deforestation and results in less carbon sequestration, a potential concern with climate change.
“These issues do not just affect the United States and a few national parks,” said William Ripple, an OSU professor of forestry and lead author of the study. “The data from Canada, Alaska, the Yukon, Northern Europe and Asia are all showing similar results. There’s consistent evidence that large predators help keep populations of large herbivores in check, with positive effects on ecosystem health.”
Densities of large mammalian herbivores were six times greater in areas without wolves, compared to those in which wolves were present, the researchers concluded. They also found that combinations of predators, such as wolves and bears, can create an important synergy for moderating the size of large herbivore populations.
“Wolves can provide food that bears scavenge, helping to maintain a healthy bear population,” said Robert Beschta, a professor emeritus at OSU and co-author of the study. “The bears then often prey on young moose, deer or elk – in Yellowstone more young elk calves are killed by bears than by wolves, coyotes and cougars combined.”
In Europe, the coexistence of wolves with lynx also resulted in lower deer densities than when wolves existed alone.
In recent years, OSU researchers have helped lead efforts to understand how major predators help to reduce herbivore population levels, improve ecosystem function and even change how herbivores behave when they feel threatened by predation – an important aspect they call the “ecology of fear.”
“In systems where large predators remain, they appear to have a major role in sustaining the diversity and productivity of native plant communities, thus maintaining healthy ecosystems,” said Beschta. “When the role of major predators is more fully appreciated, it may allow managers to reconsider some of their assumptions about the management of wildlife.”
In Idaho and Montana, hundreds of wolves are now being killed in an attempt to reduce ranching conflicts and increase game herd levels.
The new analysis makes clear that the potential beneficial ecosystem effects of large predators is far more pervasive, over much larger areas, than has often been appreciated.
It points out how large predators can help maintain native plant communities by keeping large herbivore densities in check, allow small trees to survive and grow, reduce stream bank erosion, and contribute to the health of forests, streams, fisheries and other wildlife.
It also concludes that human hunting, due to its limited duration and impact, is not effective in preventing hyper-abundant densities of large herbivores. This is partly “because hunting by humans is often not functionally equivalent to predation by large, wide-ranging carnivores such as wolves,” the researchers wrote in their report.
“More studies are necessary to understand how many wolves are needed in managed ecosystems,” Ripple said. “It is likely that wolves need to be maintained at sufficient densities before we see their resulting effects on ecosystems.”
“The preservation or recovery of large predators may represent an important conservation need for helping to maintain the resiliency of northern forest ecosystems,” the researchers concluded, “especially in the face of a rapidly changing climate.”
The research was published online in the European Journal of Wildlife Research, a professional journal.
Related Links
Oregon State University
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
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Articles of Interest
Fungus threat escalates for food, wildlife: scientists
by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) April 11, 2012
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Species of fungus, driven by trade, travel and climate change, pose a mounting threat to food supplies and biodiversity, scientists said on Wednesday.
Widely unknown to the general public, seven fungal epidemics are under way, striking bees, bats, frogs, soft corals and sea turtles as well as rice and wheat, they said.
Human health and livelihoods are at stake, for fungus costs $60 billion a year in losses to corn, wheat and rice alone, according to their assessment, published by the science journal Nature.
“In both animals and plants, an unprecedented number of fungal and fungal-like species have recently caused some of the most severe die-offs and extinctions ever witnessed in wild species, and are jeopardising food security,” it warned.
The paper said a lethal skin fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, discovered in 1997, has infected 500 species of frogs and toads in 54 countries, on all continents where amphibians are found.
Some areas of Central America have lost more than 40 percent of their amphibian species.
Bats in North America and Canada are being decimated by “white nose syndrome,” a pathogen called Geomyces destructans, which causes a white fungal patch to grow on their muzzles. The fungus is believed to have a natural home in cave soil.
Species of the Microsporidia family of fungus are being blamed in part for for so-called colony collapse disorder among honeybees.
In tropical climates, the fungus Fusarium solani is causing eggs laid by the loggerhead turtle to fail to hatch, while a soft coral, the sea fan, is in decline, its immune system depressed by a soil fungus.
A pathogen called Magnaporthe oryzae, causing a disease called rice blast, has led to losses of 10-35 percent in the rice harvest in 85 countries.
Another fast-emerging concern for farmers is wheat rust, caused by Puccinia graminis. A strain called Ug99 can cause 100-percent crop loss, helped by farmers’ over-dependence on a single wheat type.
Fungal destruction of these crops, and also of corn, potatoes and soybeans, currently amounts to 125 million tonnes a year, according to the study. Tackling this problem would be enough to feed one in 12 of the world’s population.
Fungus is spread by tough, virulent and long-living spores that can be borne by wind or water.
But human intervention, through trade, transport and global warming, is accelerating its spread, the study said.
For instance, the amphibian fungus B. dendrobatidis has gained a foothold in some ecoystems by the introduction of the North American bullfrog, which is resistant to the disease.
In the mid-19th century, a fungus called Phytophthora infestans triggered a catastrophic disease in potatoes known as late blight, causing millions of deaths from famine and an exodus to America.
The fungus originated in the Andes but hitched a ride in tubers to Mexico, and from there to the United States and finally to Ireland, according one theory.
“Crop losses due to fungal attack challenge food security and threaten biodiversity, yet we are woefully inadequate at controlling their emergence and proliferation,” said Sarah Gurr, a professor of molecular plant pathology at Oxford University.
Addressing fungal epidemics starts at the bottom, with better understanding of how the pathogen interacts with hosts and the environment. In terms of action, “effective prevention and timely control” are best, as these stop an early outbreak in its tracks, according to the study.
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