MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – A fungal disease is spreading through pine forests across Alabama, threatening the trees that fuel one of the state’s biggest economic engines. The disease is called brown spot needle blight, and it can make pine trees look like they’ve been scorched—even though no fire ever touched them. The fungus causes needles to drop too early, weakening trees and stunting growth.
Dr. Lori Eckhardt has led an Auburn University research team studying the threat since 2022, with support from the U.S. Forest Service. Eckhardt says the disease is already widespread: 58 of Alabama’s 67 counties have reported cases.
And in the last decade, the disease has jumped from longleaf pine to loblolly pine—a bigger concern because loblolly is Alabama’s primary commercial pine crop…