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Forests
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Pathogenic Fungi in Forest
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Pathogenic Fungi in Forest

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 1280

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Keumchul Shin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Environmental Forest Science and Institute of Agriculture & Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
Interests: forest pathology; tree pathogens; fungal tree diseases; molecular detection of pathogens; disease forecasting; biological control; wood decay fungi; endophytic fungi; fungal diversity
Dr. Hyunkyu Sang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Kumho Life Science Laboratory, Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61166, Republic of Korea
Interests: plant pathology; fungi; disease resistance; plant-microbe interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi form parasitic, saprophytic, and symbiotic relationships with plants and play significant roles in forest ecosystems. Pathogenic fungi are the main causal agents of plant diseases in forests, regulating the populations of woody and herbaceous plants. This regulation can result in quantitative and qualitative biomass losses, leading to economic losses or changes in forest stands. Newly emerged plant diseases in forests tend to present more complex pathosystems, including diverse cryptic species of fungal pathogens, mainly ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, and oomycetes, which threaten forest health. Therefore, it is critical to understand interactions between pathogenic fungi and woody and herbaceous plants in forests to minimize the impacts of fungal diseases and protect forest ecosystems. This Special Issue aims to contribute to advances in biology, ecology, etiology, epidemiology, population genetics of pathogenic fungi, and management of fungal diseases. Experimental studies, first reports, and review papers are all welcome.

Potential topics of pathogenic fungi in the forest include but are not limited to

  • Pathogenesis;
  • Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies;
  • Morphological and molecular characteristics;
  • Detection and identification;
  • Plant–fungal pathogen interactions;
  • Wood decay and rot;
  • Air, soil, and vector-borne diseases;
  • Monitoring, assessment, forecasting, and diagnostic tools;
  • Integrated control strategies.

Dr. Keumchul Shin
Dr. Hyunkyu Sang
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

  • fungal pathogens
  • plant diseases
  • forest pathology
  • pathogenicity
  • disease management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 4819 KiB  
Article
Identification of the Nut Rot Pathogen Affecting Castanopsis carlesii Based on Morphological and Phylogenetic Analyses
by Yicheng Li, Aining Li and Ning Jiang
Forests 2025, 16(4), 627; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16040627 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 217
Abstract
In recent years, Castanopsis carlesii, a keystone species in southern China’s forest ecosystems with high ecological and economic importance, has faced growing challenges from severe nut rot diseases. Gnomoniopsis (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) represents a significant fungal genus that causes leaf spots, [...] Read more.
In recent years, Castanopsis carlesii, a keystone species in southern China’s forest ecosystems with high ecological and economic importance, has faced growing challenges from severe nut rot diseases. Gnomoniopsis (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) represents a significant fungal genus that causes leaf spots, branch cankers, and fruit rot diseases. In this study, rotten nuts of C. carlesii were collected from Fujian Province, and fungal isolates were obtained using the tissue isolation method. Morphological characterization and molecular phylogenetic analysis, based on the combined sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA (ITS), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) gene, and the partial beta-tubulin (tub2) gene were used to identify these isolates. As a result, new isolates from diseased nuts of C. carlesii formed a distinct clade with Gnomoniopsis, and morphologically differentiated from the other species; hence, G. flava sp. nov. is proposed herein. Furthermore, pathogenicity tests involving three isolates of G. flava were conducted on healthy nuts of C. carlesii, confirming its role as the causal agent of this new plant disease. This study not only advances our understanding of species diversity within Gnomoniopsis but also lays the groundwork for developing control strategies for C. carlesii nut rot disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenic Fungi in Forest)
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13 pages, 1975 KiB  
Article
Morphology and Molecular Phylogenetic Characterization of Novel Tar Spot Disease-Causing Fungi on Fabaceae Trees in Thailand
by Sukanya Haituk, Anuruddha Karunarathna, Dulanjalee Lakmali Harishchandra, Saruta Arayapichart, Chiharu Nakashima, Rampai Kodsueb, Sararat Monkhung and Ratchadawan Cheewangkoon
Forests 2025, 16(4), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16040556 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 146
Abstract
Tar spot diseases have a huge impact on various plants by reducing the photosynthesis surface and allowing secondary severe infections on the host. Phyllachoraceae species causing tar spots infect both monocot and dicot plants and are known as obligate parasites. In the current [...] Read more.
Tar spot diseases have a huge impact on various plants by reducing the photosynthesis surface and allowing secondary severe infections on the host. Phyllachoraceae species causing tar spots infect both monocot and dicot plants and are known as obligate parasites. In the current study, two different tar spot disease symptoms were observed on Pterocarpus macrocarpus and Dalbergia sp. in northern Thailand. The phylogeny of a combined matrix of LSU, SSU, and ITS and morphology revealed that both causal species of tar spot diseases belong to the genus Neophyllachora. Furthermore, these results showed that these are novel species of the genus Neophyllachora, N. pterocarpi-macrocarpae on P. macrocarpus and N. dalbergiae on Dalbergia sp. with high bootstrap supports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenic Fungi in Forest)
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18 pages, 4188 KiB  
Article
Spring’s Signal: Can Bud Burst Timing Enhance Resistance to Ash Dieback in Europe?
by Paweł Przybylski, Vasyl Mohytych and Katarzyna Sikora
Forests 2025, 16(1), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010141 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 673
Abstract
Ash dieback (ADB), driven by the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, poses a significant environmental and financial risk throughout Europe. Fraxinus excelsior (European ash), an essential part of forest ecosystems, has seen death rates as high as 85% in impacted areas, threatening its [...] Read more.
Ash dieback (ADB), driven by the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, poses a significant environmental and financial risk throughout Europe. Fraxinus excelsior (European ash), an essential part of forest ecosystems, has seen death rates as high as 85% in impacted areas, threatening its ecological roles and economic importance. This study examines the relationship between the phenological traits of ash clones, particularly the timing of spring bud burst, and their susceptibility to H. fraxineus infection. The study was conducted in a clonal seed orchard located in Northeastern Poland, encompassing 31 ash clones from different bioclimatic regions. Phenological analyses of bud burst were carried out from early April to late May during the years 2018–2020, and crown damage and defoliation levels were assessed multiple times throughout the growing season. The results confirm that clones with earlier bud burst exhibit significantly higher survival rates and reduced crown damage. Observations revealed that clones with earlier bud burst showed a 30% higher survival rate and up to 40% less crown damage compared to clones with later phenology. The timing of bud burst was strongly correlated with susceptibility to ash dieback (R2 = 0.37, p < 0.001). Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and mixed models, revealed significant differences in susceptibility to infection among clones from different bioclimatic regions. These findings underscore the importance of biological timing as a key factor in selecting genotypes resilient to ash dieback. The study highlights the potential of breeding approaches that focus on early bud burst traits to enhance the survival and vitality of ash populations. The results provide essential insights for developing adaptive forest management practices aimed at conserving ash resources and maintaining biodiversity in the face of climate change and the ongoing spread of the pathogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenic Fungi in Forest)
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