"The trees are sick.
Epidemics are escalating, across numerous species, as more and more pests and pathogens invade forests. Their entryway is global trade — in live plants, and in the countless products that are shipped in wooden pallets, crates and other packaging. As trade has boomed, so have the opportunities for tiny stowaways to wreak havoc.
“We’re moving insects and microbes around the world through trade very rapidly, and basically running an experiment” to see which ones will take hold, said Bernard Slippers, a forest pathologist at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
The attackers have killed billions of trees already, with countless more under threat. In some severe cases, forests are transforming into bleak spaces of brambles and vines.
And the impact extends far beyond the woods. Trees filter water, stabilize the land and clean the air. They absorb and store planet-warming carbon dioxide, fighting climate change. They create the three-dimensional habitat that countless species use for shelter and shade. And they offer something even more foundational."
Catrin Einhorn reports for the New York Times with Douglas Main October 19, 2026.
