Beetle infestation threatens Johannesburg’s forests
It’s not actually the borer beetles, but a fungus they carry that could destroy half a million trees in the South Africa city, considered to be one of the greenest in the world.
Johannesburg is home to one of the world’s largest urban forests, but it’s come under threat from a tiny beetle.
About 200 species of trees – many of them indigenous to South Africa – are afflicted with the pest and the fungus it carries.
As scientists desperately look for a solution, many of the city’s trees are dying and experts are concerned the infestation could move from the forest to croplands next.
Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller reports from Johannesburg.
Published On 1 Sep 2018