Editing Chestnut blight (section)

==Economic and ecological impact of disease==
In less than fifty years after its emergence, ''C. parasitica'' virtually eliminated American chestnut as a canopy species in {{convert|8.8|e6acre|e6ha}} of forest.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|vauthors=Holmes TP, Aukema JE, Von Holle B, Liebhold A, Sills E |date=2009|title=Economic Impacts of Invasive Species in Forest: Past, Present, and Future|journal=Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology |volume=1162 |pages=18–38 |doi=10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04446.x |pmid=19432643|s2cid=8965128}}</ref> The chestnut fruit was a major food source for animals in the low elevation Appalachian forests. This loss resulted in a drastic decrease in the squirrel population, the extinction of seven native moth species, and the slowed recovery of deer, Cooper's hawk, cougar, and bobcat populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite conference |last=Davis|first=Donald |date=May 2006 |title=Historical significance of American chestnut to Appalachian culture and ecology |editor=Kim C. Steiner |editor2=John E. Carlson |book-title=Restoration of American Chestnut to Forest Lands |s2cid=131087587 |url=https://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/chestnut/information/conference-2004/conference}}</ref> The effects of this disease also rippled further through the ecosystem, being linked to a decrease in the abundance of cavity-nesting birds and to a decrease in river water quality which negatively affected aquatic invertebrate populations.<ref name=":4" />

In 1912, standing chestnut timber in just three states was estimated to be $82.5&nbsp;million ($1.9&nbsp;billion in 2009 dollars) in value.<ref name=":4" /> Therefore, in addition to ecological impacts, ''C. parasitica'' potentially caused a devastating loss in economic welfare for communities dependent on the chestnut tree. Mountaineers, residents of Appalachian Mountain communities, had to drastically alter their lifestyles to cope with the effects of this disease.<ref name=":5" />

Economic effects have also been considerable in Europe, particularly before CHV1 spreads naturally to a region. In Greece for example, the disease forced the migration of people who could no longer afford to live off chestnut trees. It has also led to a 40% decline in Greek chestnut production.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Diamandis|first=S|date=2018|title=Management of Chestnut Blight in Greece Using Hypovirulence and Silvicultural Interventions|doi=10.3390/f9080492|journal=Forests|volume=9|issue=8|page=492|doi-access=free}}</ref>