Moving quietly but quickly, a parasite is spreading through Maryland’s forests and front yards. Over the next decade, it could devastate a beloved and long-established tree.

Much about beech leaf disease — a malady caused by a microscopic roundworm called a nematode — remains mysterious. Scientists don’t yet understand how it got here or how it has spread so widely.

But it’s clear the disease could kill off many of the region’s beech trees, a stately hardwood dominant in northeastern forests and cherished for its silver, parchment-like bark.

This story continues. Read the rest at The Banner: A mysterious new disease is poised to devastate Maryland’s beech trees

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