favorable conditions, such as warm and moist conditions. Some pathway vectors for spread include: plants or parts of plants – such as mycelial growth through root contact and zoospore dispersal, which can travel long distances; wind-blown soil and debris; downslope movement in subsurface or surface flow of water, such as in rivers or irrigation water; machinery and equipment in moist soil that is stuck to vehicles or equipment; soil, sand, and gravel. Wild and feral animals have also been known to contribute to the spread of disease. A recent study on feral pigs found them to have the ability to transport this pathogen in their digestive tract. Humans also affect the spread of this disease in human activities such as timber harvesting, mining, bush walking, and road. Sexual reproduction Phytophthora cinnamomi is a diploid and heterothallic species with two mating types, A1 and A2. Sexual reproduction in heterothallic Phytophthora species ordinarily occurs when gametangia of opposite mating type interact in host tissue. This interaction leads to the formation of oospores that can survive for long periods in or outside the host. Phytophthora cinnamomi is also capable of self-fertilization (i.e. it can be homothallic). Phytophthora cinnamomi mating type A2 cultures can be induced to undergo sexual reproduction by exposure to damaging conditions, that is by exposure to hydrogen peroxide or mechanical damage. In the wild When Phytophthora dieback spreads to native plant communities, it kills many susceptible plants, resulting in a permanent decline in the biodiversity and a disruption of ecosystem processes. It can also change the composition of the forest or native plant community by increasing the number of resistant plants and reducing the number of susceptible plant species. Native animals that rely on susceptible plants for survival are reduced in numbers or are eliminated from sites infested by Phytophthora dieback. Damage to forests suspected to be caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi was first recorded in the United States about 200 years ago. Infection is the cause of sudden death of a number of native tree species, including American chestnut, littleleaf disease of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), Christmas tree disease in nursery grown Fraser fir (Abies fraseri), while oaks are affected from South Carolina to Texas. In Australia, where it is known as phytophthora dieback, dieback, jarrah dieback or cinnamon fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi infects a number of native plants, causing damage to forests and removing habitats for wildlife. Of particular concern