Incursion management in the face of multiple uncertainties: A case study of an unidentified nematode associated with dying Pines Near Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

In late November 1999, dying pine trees were observed near the docks in Melbourne. The cause was initially identified as Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the pinewood nematode. However, it was soon discovered that it was another nematode, Bursaphelenchus hunanensis, which was associated with the dying pine trees. Very little was known about the biology or pathogenicity of this species, except that it had never before been recorded in Australia. Other dying trees were soon discovered with the nematode, and deciding on an appropriate response became a critical issue. This paper describes the subsequent events in the face of the uncertainty regarding the pathogenicity of the nematode, its origin, it..