Sonoma’s native oak trees, a defining feature of our landscape and cultural heritage, are in critical danger due to the rapid spread of the Mediterranean oak borer. The Mediterranean oak borer (Xyleborus monographus, MOB) is a very small invasive beetle which originated in Europe and North Africa, in regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In their natural habitat, the beetles serve an important ecological role by helping break down wood in trees that are already dying, aiding in the tree’s decomposition and the eventual return of its nutrients to the soil. In the United States, however, the beetle is a rapidly spreading invasive species, aggressively infesting both healthy and stressed trees alike.
Read a new update on The Ecology Blog from Sonoma Ecology…..