Kylle Roy
Biography
Education:
M.S. 2015 Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hilo, HI
B.S. 2013 Biological Sciences minor Environmental Science, Chapman University, Orange, CA
Kylle Roy works with Dr. Carter Atkinson. Her research intrests include environmental DNA (eDNA) genetics and metagenomics, particularly developing new techniques to improve environmental management strategies. She is currently working on understanding the movement of fungi that cause Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD). She has worked on developing new tools for identifying and sampling ROD, such as the portable lab-in-a-suitcase and wind spore samplers.
Science and Products
Building Resilience to Invasive Species in Ohia Forests
ʻŌhiʻa (Metrosideros polymorpha) is the dominant tree in Hawaiian forests, but Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD), a newly emerging disease that stands to cause high mortality of this ecologically important tree, may lead to invasions by exotic plants as gaps open in the forest. To better understand if planting of ʻōhiʻa seedlings can be used as a restoration tool, we investigated the survival...
Pathways for Movement and Rate of Spread of Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death on the Island of Hawai‘i
Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) is an emerging and rapidly spreading disease of ‘ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha), a keystone native forest tree in the Hawaiian Islands. The disease is highly pathogenic in native ‘ōhi‘a and can lead to significant mortality once symptoms become evident. This emerging pathogen is a significant threat to native forests throughout the state because of its...
Environmental DNA (eDNA): a New Tool for Monitoring Status and Trends of Ecosystems and Taxa in Hawaii and Pacific Islands
Remote locations, rugged topography, extreme weather conditions, high numbers of threatened and endangered taxa, and widespread degradation of native ecosystems by invasive species makes routine monitoring to determine status and trends of ecosystems and native and invasive taxa difficult and expensive in the Hawaiian Islands. There is a need to supplement existing monitoring protocols with...
Hawaii Island Environmental Sampler Comparison 2016-2018
These data include metadata and associated data files associated with the manuscript, "Economical Environmental Sampler Designs for Detecting Airborne Spread of Fungi Responsible for Rapid Ohia Death." These data include a total of 8 datasets used for both controlled and field studies evaluating the use of Active (with battery operated fan) and Passive (dependent on wind) USGS Envir
Effectiveness of rapid 'ōhi'a death management strategies at a focal disease outbreak on Hawai'i Island
The ongoing spread of rapid ‘ōhi‘a death (ROD) in the Hawaiian Islands threatens the long-term sustainability of ‘ōhi‘a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) forests throughout the state. First identified in the Puna district of Hawai‘i Island in 2014, the disease caused by the novel fungi Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia has now spread...
Roy, Kylle; Granthon, Carolina; Peck, Robert W; Atkinson, Carter T. Decontamination of Ceratocystis pathogens responsible for rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death
Rapid ʻōhiʻa death (ROD) is caused by two recently described species of Ceratocystis, C. lukuohia and C. huliohia. These fungi are decimating ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), the keystone native tree species of Hawaiʻi. Viable Ceratocystis propagules can persist in ambrosia beetle frass (Coleoptera:...
Roy, Kylle; Jaenecke, Kelly; Bjontegard, Nikko; Mikros, Dan; Dunkle, Ellen; Yanger, Corie; Sugiyama, Lionel S.; Keith, Lisa M.; Peck, Robert W Ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) communities and frass production in ʻŌhiʻa (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) infected with Ceratocystis (Microascales: Ceratocystidaceae) fungi responsible for Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) is a deadly disease that is threatening the native Hawaiian keystone tree species, ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudich). Ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and their frass are hypothesized to play a major role in the spread of ROD, although their ecological niches and frass production within trees...
Roy, Kylle; Jaenecke, Kelly; Peck, Robert W Successful restoration of Metrosideros polymorpha (ʻōhiʻa) is possible in forest sites with active Rapid ‘Ōhiʻa Death infections
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD), caused by the fungal pathogen Ceratocystis, is killing large numbers of ʻōhiʻa trees (Metrosideros polymorpha) in Hawaiʻi. ʻŌhiʻa are a dominant tree in Hawaiian forests, have a range that goes from arid to wet forest climates, and are important for endangered species habitat and ecosystem function. To test whether...
Yelenik, Stephanie G.; Roy, Kylle; Stallman, Jeff Economical environmental sampler designs for detecting airborn spread of fungi responsible for rapid `Ōhi` death
We designed two new samplers for monitoring airborne particulates that rely on either natural wind currents (Passive Environmental Sampler) or a battery-operated fan (Active Environmental Sampler). Both samplers are significantly less expensive than commercial devices such as Rotorod® and Burkard Samplers that are used in the agricultural and...
Atkinson, Carter T.; Roy, Kylle; Granthon, Carolina A rapid diagnostic test and mobile "lab in a suitcase" platform for detecting Ceratocystis spp. responsible for Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death
We describe a field compatible molecular diagnostic test for two new species of Ceratocystis that infect `ōhi`a (Metrosideros polymorpha) and cause the disease commonly known as Rapid `Ōhi`a Death. The diagnostic is based on amplification of a DNA locus within the internal transcribed spacer region that separates fungal 5.8S ribosomal genes. The...
Atkinson, Carter T.; Watcher-Weatherwax, William; Roy, Kylle; Heller, Wade P; Keith, Lisa
Portable Lab Speeds Detection of Pathogens Responsible for Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death
Researchers at the USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and USDA Agriculture Research Service have developed a new tool to rapidly detect the pathogens that cause Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death, a disease affecting a keystone tree species across more than 50,000 of acres of land in Hawai‘i.