Koa wilt there are no local hosts, it is suggested that one plant seeds from several different sources in the hope of finding a resistant tree. Currently, research about Koa wilt is focused primarily on determining resistant Koa varieties. Koa is a commodity, a dominant native forest species, and an important element of Hawaiian culture. Koa is highly prized hardwood that can sell for prices as high as $150 a board foot, a special measurement indicating one-foot by one-foot by one-inch wood piece. Koa is currently being grown on plantations to support this high demand, yet some plantations have a 90% tree
Lesser koa finch was smaller than the other scientifically described koa finches, measuring on average only five inches in length. Its life cycle and feeding habits apparently centered around the koa plant from which it got nectar and fruit (and for which it was named). The koa also provided refuge for small flocks of the finch as it avoided people and the noon high sun. It was seen congregating with its larger relative, the greater koa-finch. Several specimens were collected and sent to London, Cambridge, New York, Philadelphia, and Berlin. The bird appeared to have always had a small population. When people brought