Framework / Assessment California Forests and Rangelands: 2015 Assessment Summary Native and non-native forest insects and diseases can kill thousands of trees in patches of outbreak. For example, the California oak borer, the goldspotted oak borer, tthe fruit tree leaf roller, sudden oak death, and Port Orford cedar root disease have all affected many acres of hardwood forest in California. The native pests and diseases are naturally-occurring, so concerns about them may be restricted to the effect of climate change on range of impact and mortality that might affect structures and communities built within forests.