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Forests
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Forest Management and Silviculture to Address Phytopathological Threats
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Forest Management and Silviculture to Address Phytopathological Threats

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecophysiology and Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2019) | Viewed by 15532

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Johanna Witzell

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, BOX 49, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
Interests: forest pathology; tree resistance; fungal endophytes; invasive pathogens; sustainable forest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Juan Antonio Martín

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: forest health; forest pathogens; breeding; resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The capacity of forests to provide humans with essential ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, clean water and air, soil erosion protection, renewable biomass for fuel and materials, and habitats for biodiversity, is threatened by forest diseases caused by native or alien pathogens (fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, and viruses). Climate change may exacerbate this threat, at the same time as global transports and trade with plants increase risks for introduction of alien species. This development may challenge the forest resilience and calls for re-evaluation of management and silvicultural practices.

In this Special Issue of Forests, we focus on the interface between forest management and silviculture and forest pathology. We welcome original studies and critical reviews focusing on diseases and risks of diseases in managed forests. All stages of pathogen invasions and relevant interventions, as well as ecological, physiological and genetic studies with links to management practices are of interest. Relevant topics include but are not restricted to:

  • management of risks and damage due to invasive pathogens;
  • forest restoration and regeneration in stands affected by native or alien pathogens;
  • pros and cons of new forest management regimes for forest health;
  • new methods to control forest diseases and their integration to management regimes.

Dr. Johanna Witzell
Dr. Juan Antonio Martín
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Forest diseases
  • Fungi
  • Forest management
  • Introduced pathogens
  • Forest decline

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 4708 KiB  
Article
Springtime Bark-Splitting of Acer pseudoplatanus in Germany
by Ernst Detlef Schulze, Fritz Schweingruber, Martin M. Gossner, Angela Günther, Ulrich Weber, Burkhardt Stumpf and Ewald Komor
Forests 2019, 10(12), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10121106 - 03 Dec 2019
Viewed by 2777
Abstract
A large-scale regional event of springtime bark-splitting in Acer pseudoplatanus was observed in Germany in May 2018, where bark dissected from the wood. In young trees, an average of about 30% of the circumference was affected by cracks that were up to 8 [...] Read more.
A large-scale regional event of springtime bark-splitting in Acer pseudoplatanus was observed in Germany in May 2018, where bark dissected from the wood. In young trees, an average of about 30% of the circumference was affected by cracks that were up to 8 m long. The damage occurred on the south-facing side of the trees after a warm period in March, followed by an extreme cold spell and warm temperatures. In this study, we investigated the possible causes of this damage. The damage occurred in the expanding xylem with cambial cells remaining in the bark. These cells-initiated growths of new, bark-based stems. The unprotected xylem was attacked by several fungi and wood-boring bark beetles. The mode of damage-recovery suggested that this event will eventually lead to a frost-scar-like structure in the future that will not totally heal, because the new stems attached to the old bark were in the process of forming new bark. Due to the increase in variation of springtime temperatures observed over the past 40 years, such damage may become more common in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management and Silviculture to Address Phytopathological Threats)
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24 pages, 5117 KiB  
Article
Management Strategies for Conservation of Tanoak in California Forests Threatened by Sudden Oak Death: A Disease-Community Feedback Modelling Approach
by João A. N. Filipe, Richard C. Cobb, Maëlle Salmon and Christopher A. Gilligan
Forests 2019, 10(12), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10121103 - 03 Dec 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3002
Abstract
We use a new modelling approach to predict the cumulative impact of Phytophthora ramorum on the dynamic distribution of tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) and other tree species in coastal-Californian forest-communities. We explore the effectiveness of disease-management strategies for the conservation of tanoak [...] Read more.
We use a new modelling approach to predict the cumulative impact of Phytophthora ramorum on the dynamic distribution of tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) and other tree species in coastal-Californian forest-communities. We explore the effectiveness of disease-management strategies for the conservation of tanoak at stand level. Forest resources are increasingly threatened by emerging pathogens such as P. ramorum, a generalist that kills hosts and has altered ecosystems in the USA and Europe. In coastal California, P. ramorum has the greatest impact on tanoak through leaf sporulation and lethal bole infections, but also sporulates on the common overstory-tree bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) without significant health impact. Such epidemiological differences impede host-species coexistence and challenge pathogen management. For most disease-impacted natural systems, however, empirical evidence is still insufficient to identify effective and affordable pathogen-control measures for retaining at-risk host populations. Yet, landscape-scale tree mortality requires swift actions to mitigate ecological impacts and loss of biodiversity. We apply a mathematical model of the feedback between disease and forest-community dynamics to assess the impacts of P. ramorum invasion on tanoak under stand-scale disease-management strategies by landowners aiming to retain tanoak and slow disease progression: (1) removal of inoculum through reduction of bay laurel abundance; (2) prevention of tanoak infection through chemical protection (acting epidemiologically like a vaccine); and (3) a combination strategy. The model results indicate that: (1) both bay laurel removal and tanoak protection are required to help maintain tanoak populations; (2) treatment effectiveness depends on forest composition and on threshold criteria; (3) sustainable tanoak conservation would require long-term follow-up of preventive treatments; (4) arresting basal sprouting upon tree removal may help to reduce inoculum. These findings suggest potential treatments for specific forest conditions that could be tested and implemented to reduce P. ramorum inoculum and disease and to conserve tanoak at stand level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management and Silviculture to Address Phytopathological Threats)
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22 pages, 10135 KiB  
Article
Towards the Biological Control of Devastating Forest Pathogens from the Genus Armillaria
by Liqiong Chen, Bettina Bóka, Orsolya Kedves, Viktor Dávid Nagy, Attila Szűcs, Simang Champramary, Róbert Roszik, Zoltán Patocskai, Martin Münsterkötter, Thu Huynh, Boris Indic, Csaba Vágvölgyi, György Sipos and László Kredics
Forests 2019, 10(11), 1013; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10111013 - 13 Nov 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4602
Abstract
Research Highlights: A large scale effort to screen, characterize, and select Trichoderma strains with the potential to antagonize Armillaria species revealed promising candidates for field applications. Background and Objectives: Armillaria species are among the economically most relevant soilborne tree pathogens causing devastating root [...] Read more.
Research Highlights: A large scale effort to screen, characterize, and select Trichoderma strains with the potential to antagonize Armillaria species revealed promising candidates for field applications. Background and Objectives: Armillaria species are among the economically most relevant soilborne tree pathogens causing devastating root diseases worldwide. Biocontrol agents are environment-friendly alternatives to chemicals in restraining the spread of Armillaria in forest soils. Trichoderma species may efficiently employ diverse antagonistic mechanisms against fungal plant pathogens. The aim of this paper is to isolate indigenous Trichoderma strains from healthy and Armillaria-damaged forests, characterize them, screen their biocontrol properties, and test selected strains under field conditions. Materials and Methods: Armillaria and Trichoderma isolates were collected from soil samples of a damaged Hungarian oak and healthy Austrian spruce forests and identified to the species level. In vitro antagonism experiments were performed to determine the potential of the Trichoderma isolates to control Armillaria species. Selected biocontrol candidates were screened for extracellular enzyme production and plant growth-promoting traits. A field experiment was carried out by applying two selected Trichoderma strains on two-year-old European Turkey oak seedlings planted in a forest area heavily overtaken by the rhizomorphs of numerous Armillaria colonies. Results: Although A. cepistipes and A. ostoyae were found in the Austrian spruce forests, A. mellea and A. gallica clones dominated the Hungarian oak stand. A total of 64 Trichoderma isolates belonging to 14 species were recovered. Several Trichoderma strains exhibited in vitro antagonistic abilities towards Armillaria species and produced siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid. Oak seedlings treated with T. virens and T. atrobrunneum displayed better survival under harsh soil conditions than the untreated controls. Conclusions: Selected native Trichoderma strains, associated with Armillaria rhizomorphs, which may also have plant growth promoting properties, are potential antagonists of Armillaria spp., and such abilities can be exploited in the biological control of Armillaria root rot. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management and Silviculture to Address Phytopathological Threats)
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16 pages, 2377 KiB  
Article
The Dark Septate Endophytes and Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Effect on Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. Seedling Growth and their Potential Effects to Pine Wilt Disease Resistance
by Honglong Chu, Chunyan Wang, Zhumei Li, Haihua Wang, Yuguo Xiao, Jie Chen and Ming Tang
Forests 2019, 10(2), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10020140 - 08 Feb 2019
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4520
Abstract
Pine wilt disease (PWD), a worldwide threat to pine forests, has caused tremendous damage to conifer forest in the world. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between symbiosis functions of root associated fungi and pine wilt disease. In this study, [...] Read more.
Pine wilt disease (PWD), a worldwide threat to pine forests, has caused tremendous damage to conifer forest in the world. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between symbiosis functions of root associated fungi and pine wilt disease. In this study, we assessed the influence of seven ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) and five dark septate endophytic fungi (DSE) on the growth traits and root morphology as well as the correlation of these parameters to the cumulative mortality and the morbidity rates in Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.showed the lowest cumulative mortality rates. We propose that the ECMF/DSE symbiosis enhanced the resistance of pine wilt disease via mitigation the dysfunction of water caused by PWN infection. Our research provided evidence that inoculation of ECMF/DSE could be a potential way for pine wilt disease prevention. To find highly efficient fungi for pine wilt disease management, more ECMF and DSE species should be tested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management and Silviculture to Address Phytopathological Threats)
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