Northern CA PPSR Projects 1

SOD (Sudden Oak Death) Blitzes

• Organization Name

  UC Berkeley Forest Pathology Lab
• Project Website

  http://nature.berkeley.edu/garbelottowp/?page_id=148
• Organization Website

  http://nature.berkeley.edu/garbelottowp/
• Partners

  N / A
• Contact Name

  Dr. Matteo Garbelotto
• Contact Email

  matteog@berkeley.edu
• Contact Phone

  N / A
• Other Contact Information

  Please include in the subject the word "SOD-Blitz." 
  To participate in a SOD-Blitz, check website for scheduled SOD-Blitzes and contact the organizer directly. 
  To organize a new SOD-Blitz, contact Dr. Matteo Garbelotto. Requests need to arrive at least 6 months before the desired date to allow for proper organization.

• Project Purpose (taken from project materials)

  SOD-blitzes inform and educate the community about Sudden Oak Death, get locals involved in detecting the disease, and produce detailed local maps of disease distribution. The map can then be used to identify those areas where the infestation may be mild enough to justify proactive management.Sudden Oak Death (SOD), a serious exotic disease, is threatening the survival of tanoak and several oak species in California. Researchers have discovered that the pathogen that causes SOD spreads most often on infected California bay laurel leaves. Some management options are available (sanitation, chemical preventative treatments, bay removal), but they are effective only if implemented before oaks and tanoaks are infected. Timely detection of the disease on bay laurel leaves is key for a successful proactive attempt to slow down the SOD epidemic.  

• Participant Activities

  Following a training meeting, leaf samples and information about location and surroundings are collected by the individual participants during a specific weekend. Samples and accompanying forms are then turned in at a central location Saturday and Sunday evenings. Samples are analyzed by UC Berkeley diagnostic laboratory through microscopic and DNA analyses to determine the presence or absence of P. ramorum/Sudden Oak Death. At a follow-up meeting, analysis is reported and discussed.

• Data Entry

  • Collection Kits
  • Data Sheets
• Other Participant Activities

  Involvement in discussion of data and formulation of action plan (see below).

  Project organizers work with tens of local communities throughout California through  collaborations with local environmental leaders to organize town hall meetings where education on SOD is provided. Upon local request,  a rigorous but accessible training session is organized in the same communities on how to identify SOD and then volunteers survey their own neighborhood  and collect samples (SOD BLITZ).  All samples are then processed in the UCB lab to confirm presence of the disease. Results are posted on web and discussed in follow-up local meetings (over 50 per year)

• System Studied

  • Plants
• Geographic Scope

  Regional
• Region

  Northern California
• Location

  Areas where SOD is currently at a low or intermediate level?
• Location - Map

  54 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720
• Time Commitment

  • Specific dates (see Other Information below)
• Volunteer Qualifications

  None.

• Volunteer Training

  Yes. Training and education are a priority of this project. Training meeting prior to collection includes:

  • Training to identify SOD symptoms on CA bay laurel and other hosts
  • Explain the details of the sampling/collection process (number of samples, bagging, storing, tagging, distance between sampled trees)
  • Explain how to record the sample location (address, GPS, etc)
  • Explain how to fill out the collection form
  • Define collection areas for each participant
  • Distribute necessary materials to participants (forms, bags, markers, GPS units, laminated pictorial identification cards)
• Cost to Participant

  N / A
• How will the findings be used?

  One to four months later (dependent upon workload and number of samples collected) a follow-up community meeting may be organized. At the meeting, results will be presented, and management options discussed.

• Other Information

  N / A
• Photo

  N / A
• last update:

  9/4/12