Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 17298

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: climate change; entomology; ecological modeling; forest pests; population dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Forest Environment Protection, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
Interests: forest entomology; forest pests; urban tree; community ecology; insect diversity; environmental monitoring; forest disturbance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest insects as well as microorganisms are important parts of the forest ecosystem, acting as regulating factors in the nutrient cycle and energy flow. However, many pests and diseases severely impact these ecosystems, negatively impacting forestry economy, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc. Recently, forest pests and diseases have mainly emerged as a result of habitat changes or climate change. International trade and travel increase the movement of organisms from their original habitat to new areas, inducing the dispersal of organisms as invasive species. Meanwhile, climate change, including temperature increase, changes the potential distribution area of species by changing their habitat condition. Therefore, surveillance and monitoring of their occurrences and assessment of their impacts on the forest ecosystem would be the first step towards sustainable forest ecosystem management. Surveillance and monitoring play a fundamental role in effective control and management strategies for pests and diseases. In addition, accumulated monitoring data are used for the development of new methods for monitoring, assessing impacts and developing management techniques.

To minimize the impacts of pests and diseases and provide a better understanding of the structure and processes of the management of forest ecosystems, this Special Issue is seeking studies from a broad range of research topics related to forest pests and diseases, including:

  • Report on new forest pests;
  • Monitoring;
  • Assessment;
  • Impacts;
  • Management;
  • Sustainable ecosystem management;
  • Invasive species;
  • Dispersal of invasive species;
  • Dispersal modeling;
  • Effects of climate change;
  • Habitat change;
  • Risk assessment

Prof. Dr. Young-Seuk Park
Dr. Won Il Choi
Dr. Jong-Kook Jung
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • forest management
  • invasive species
  • alien species
  • risk assessment
  • pests
  • insects
  • diseases
  • monitoring
  • assessment
  • ecology
  • effects of climate change
  • effects of environment change, outbreak, modelling

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 672 KiB  
Editorial
Management of Forest Pests and Diseases
by Won Il Choi and Young-Seuk Park
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111765 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2492
Abstract
The occurrence patterns of forest insect pests and diseases have been altered by global events such as climate change. Recent developments in improved monitoring methods and tools for data analyses provide new opportunities to understand the causes and consequences of such changes. Using [...] Read more.
The occurrence patterns of forest insect pests and diseases have been altered by global events such as climate change. Recent developments in improved monitoring methods and tools for data analyses provide new opportunities to understand the causes and consequences of such changes. Using a variety of management tools, forest pest management programs can mitigate the influence of global changes on forest health. The goal of this Special Issue is to improve our understanding of the root causes of changes that have induced global changes. Fifteen papers are included in this Special Issue, covering several issues in forest pest management. One paper reviews the causes of Korean oak wilt, and another paper discusses fourteen invasive tree pests in Russia. The remaining thirteen papers cover issues related to the monitoring and management of forest pests. These studies provide a better understanding of the causes of change in the patterns of forest pests under the influence of global changes. These reviews also contribute to the development of forest-pest-management strategies to mitigate such impacts on forests due to global changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 5395 KiB  
Article
Development of Integrated Control for Verticillium Wilt of Smoke Trees in Beijing
by Bimeng Li, Ruifeng Guo, Yize Zhao, Qiyan Li, Lizhou Song, Chong Shen, Chenming Du, Yuntao Gu, Guanghang Qiao, Liping Wang, Fei Yuan, Sanxiang Huang and Yonglin Wang
Forests 2024, 15(5), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050776 - 28 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1170
Abstract
Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) is an important ornamental tree that represents the autumnal landscape of red leaves in Northern China, especially in Beijing. However, Verticillium wilt, caused by the fungus (Verticillium dahliae), has resulted in a high mortality rate [...] Read more.
Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) is an important ornamental tree that represents the autumnal landscape of red leaves in Northern China, especially in Beijing. However, Verticillium wilt, caused by the fungus (Verticillium dahliae), has resulted in a high mortality rate for smoke trees, posing a serious threat to the highly valued landscape of red leaves in Beijing. To explore an efficient control measure for Verticillium wilt, we systematically analyzed the applicability and efficacy of multiple treatments for three consecutive years in Xiangshan Park and Badaling Forest Park. From 2021 to 2023, diseased smoke trees in Xiangshan Park were subjected to three application methods (agent irrigation, trunk injection, or a combination of the two) and five candidate agents, namely Bacillus subtilis, azoxystrobin, propiconazole, carbendazim, and prochloraz. Analyses of the data for three consecutive years revealed a decreasing trend in the annual disease incidence rate. Specifically, the combined application of agent irrigation and trunk injection exhibited the highest control effect and a significant improvement in the landscape of red leaves in Beijing. Furthermore, the combination of propiconazole via irrigation plus the trunk injection of carbendazim and prochloraz had the greatest control effect. These suppressive measurements were further used and demonstrated to be effective in Badaling Forest Park. Overall, our study provides an effective disease management means for controlling Verticillium wilt in smoke trees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 3375 KiB  
Article
Antifungal Activity of Culture Filtrate from Endophytic Fungus Nectria balsamea E282 and Its Fractions against Dryadomyces quercus-mongolicae
by Manh Ha Nguyen, Il-Kwon Park, Jong Kyu Lee, Dong-Hyeon Lee and Keumchul Shin
Forests 2024, 15(2), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020332 - 8 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1271
Abstract
A key role that fungal endophytes play in interacting with their host plant can be defined by the fact that they promote the growth of plants and enhance the tolerance of the host against plant pathogens using bioactive compounds that they produce. Several [...] Read more.
A key role that fungal endophytes play in interacting with their host plant can be defined by the fact that they promote the growth of plants and enhance the tolerance of the host against plant pathogens using bioactive compounds that they produce. Several studies utilizing endophytic fungi as a source of biological control against plant pathogens were conducted, and a representative example includes Aureobasidium protae from common wheat (Triticum aestivum), which inhibited the mycelial growth of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, causal agents of Fusarium head blight disease. Our previous study indicated that three endophytic fungal isolates, E089 (Daldinia childiae), E282 (Nectria balsamea), and E409 (Colletotrichum acutatum), showed antifungal activities against D. quercus-mongolicae, an ascomycetous fungus that is reported to be associated with oak mortality in South Korea. The objectives of this study were to optimize and evaluate antifungal efficiency for these endophytic fungi against D. quercus-mongolicae, and this was achieved using culture filtrate retrieved from the three above-mentioned endophytes and fractions isolated from the culture filtrate. Of those, the culture filtrate from E282 showed higher mycelial growth and sporulation inhibitions on PDA medium where D. quercus-mongolicae was grown. In addition, three fractions, including hexane, CHCl3, Et2O, and H2O, were tested for antifungal activities against D. quercus-mongolicae. The results revealed that the Et2O fraction showed higher mycelial growth and sporulation inhibition rates. Taking these results together, the endophytic fungus, N. balsamea, which exhibited high antifungal efficiency, can be effectively used as a biocontrol agent for the management of oak wilt disease in the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 6020 KiB  
Article
Antagonistic Activity and Potential Mechanisms of Endophytic Bacillus subtilis YL13 in Biocontrol of Camellia oleifera Anthracnose
by Yandong Xia, Junang Liu, Zhikai Wang, Yuan He, Qian Tan, Zhuang Du, Anqi Niu, Manman Liu, Zhong Li, Mengke Sang and Guoying Zhou
Forests 2023, 14(5), 886; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14050886 - 26 Apr 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2399
Abstract
Anthracnose, caused by the fungus Collectotrichum fructicola (C. fructicola), is a major disease affecting the quality and yield of Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera); it reduces C. oleifera yield by 40%–80%. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) YL13 is an [...] Read more.
Anthracnose, caused by the fungus Collectotrichum fructicola (C. fructicola), is a major disease affecting the quality and yield of Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera); it reduces C. oleifera yield by 40%–80%. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) YL13 is an antagonistic endophytic bacteria strain isolated from healthy C. oleifera leaves. This study was aimed at investigating the potential of YL13 for the biocontrol of C. oleifera anthracnose and the possible mechanisms involved. In in vitro assays, YL13 demonstrated remarkable antagonistic activity of C. fructicola. Its cell-free filtrates displayed antagonistic activity, which suggested that the metabolites of YL13 might play important roles. In vivo tests showed that the disease index of YL13-treated plants was obviously reduced under greenhouse conditions. YL13 secretes a variety of bioactive metabolites, including protease, cellulase, and siderophore, which might participate in the resistance to C. fructicola. In addition, C. oleifera treated with the fermentation broth of YL13 demonstrated different defense responses, e.g., accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and activation of the defense-related enzyme peroxidase (POD), which might contribute directly or indirectly to overcome external stresses. The significant biocontrol effect and host defense-induction activity of YL13 suggested that this B. subtilis strain as well as its metabolites have the potential to be exploited as microbial control agents for the efficient management of C. oleifera anthracnose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 6289 KiB  
Article
Lattice Structure and Spatial Network Models Incorporating into Simulating Human-Mediated Dispersal of the Western Conifer Seed Bug Populations in South Korea
by Xiaodong Zhang, Dae-Seong Lee, Young-Seuk Park, Muyoung Heo, Il-Kyu Eom, Yang-Seop Bae, Tak-Gi Lee and Tae-Soo Chon
Forests 2023, 14(3), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030552 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1477
Abstract
The western conifer seed bug (WCSB), Leptoglossus occidentalis, has expanded rapidly in the southern peninsula of Korea since it was first reported in southeastern Korea in 2010. Two types of human-mediated passive movements were devised for modeling the rapid advancement of the [...] Read more.
The western conifer seed bug (WCSB), Leptoglossus occidentalis, has expanded rapidly in the southern peninsula of Korea since it was first reported in southeastern Korea in 2010. Two types of human-mediated passive movements were devised for modeling the rapid advancement of the pest population in this study: traffic effects and forest-product transportation. A lattice structure model (LSM) was developed to accommodate the traffic effects pertaining to the local area along with the natural population dynamics of the pest. Separately, a spatial network model (SNM) was constructed to present the passive movement of the WCSB because of forest-product transportation between all local areas in Korea. The gravity rule was applied to obtain the parameters for forest-product transportation between the local areas. LSM and SNM were linked to the two present types of passive movements in the model. The model simulated fast, linear advancement in a short period, compared with slow, circular advancement because of the conventional natural diffusion process of populations. Simulation results were comparable to field data observed in the southern peninsula of Korea, matching the rapid advancement of about 400 km to the north area (Seoul) from the south area (Changwon) within six years and expanding across the nation in 10 years. Possible saturation of populations was predicted in the 2020s if survival conditions for the WCSB were favorable and no control efforts were given in field conditions. Dispersal because of SNM notably surpassed the dispersal simulated by LSM when the WCSB population rapidly dispersed over a wide area. The Allee-effect and contribution ratio of SNM were the factors governing the rapid expansion of pest populations. The possibility of using the combined model was further discussed to address different types of human-mediated passive movements associated with population dynamics in forest pest dispersal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 2408 KiB  
Article
Breeding of Highly Virulent Beauveria bassiana Strains for Biological Control of the Leaf-Eating Pests of Dalbergia odorifera
by Xianpeng Ni, Hongjun Li, Yandong Xia, Yan Lin, Chuanting Wang, Cong Li, Junang Liu and Guoying Zhou
Forests 2023, 14(2), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020316 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
Dalbergia odorifera (D. odorifera), commonly named the fragrant rosewood, is one of the second-level protected wild plants in China, and one of 34 species of rosewood in five genera and eight categories in the National Standard of China. As a kind [...] Read more.
Dalbergia odorifera (D. odorifera), commonly named the fragrant rosewood, is one of the second-level protected wild plants in China, and one of 34 species of rosewood in five genera and eight categories in the National Standard of China. As a kind of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it plays an important role in the pharmaceutical industry, including the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, rheumatic pain, etc. With the continuous expansion of the planting area of D. odorifera, the diseases and pests of D. odorifera become more and more serious, among which leaf-eating pests are the most serious. In this study, ultraviolet rays and microwaves were used to mutagenize Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) strain HNCMBJ-P-01, and excellent mutant strains with high spore yield and high virulence were screened out, and then they were prepared into a wettable powder for forest control experiments to study their biocontrol effects. The virulence screening test showed that the virulence of strain HBWB-44 was the strongest, and the 10 day corrected mortality rate was 80.00%, and the lethal time was 5.622 days. The results of biological control test showed that the control effect of B. bassiana wettable powder 100 times solution reached 60.89%, second only to the botanical fungicide matrine. Generically, The B. bassiana that we screened and mutated showed a good killing effect on Plecoptera bilinealis (P. bilinealis), and the wettable powder produced by it showed a good control effect on the leaf-eating pests of D. odorifera. The application of fungal insecticides in plantations has a good prospect for controlling the occurrence of leaf-eating pests of D. odorifera. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 3650 KiB  
Article
Occurrence Prediction of Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis: Coreidae) and Evaluation of the Effects of Climate Change on Its Distribution in South Korea Using Machine Learning Methods
by Dae-Seong Lee, Tak-Gi Lee, Yang-Seop Bae and Young-Seuk Park
Forests 2023, 14(1), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010117 - 8 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3556
Abstract
The western conifer seed bug (WCSB; Leptoglossus occidentalis) causes huge ecological and economic problems as an alien invasive species in forests. In this study, a species distribution model (SDM) was developed to evaluate the potential occurrence of the WCSBs and the effects [...] Read more.
The western conifer seed bug (WCSB; Leptoglossus occidentalis) causes huge ecological and economic problems as an alien invasive species in forests. In this study, a species distribution model (SDM) was developed to evaluate the potential occurrence of the WCSBs and the effects of climate on WCSB distribution in South Korea. Based on WCSB occurrence and environmental data, including geographical and meteorological variables, SDMs were developed with maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and random forest (RF) algorithms, which are machine learning methods, and they showed good performance in predicting WCSB occurrence. On the potential distribution map of WCSBs developed by the model ensemble with integrated MaxEnt and RF models, the WCSB occurrence areas were mostly located at low altitudes, near roads, and in urban areas. Additionally, environmental factors associated with anthropogenic activities, such as roads and night lights, strongly influenced the occurrence and dispersal of WCSBs. Metropolitan cities and their vicinities in South Korea showed a high probability of WCSB occurrence. Furthermore, the occurrence of WCSBs in South Korea is predicted to intensify in the future owing to climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 2289 KiB  
Article
Effect of Chilling Temperature on Survival and Post-Diapause Development of Korean Population of Lymantria dispar asiatica (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) Eggs
by Min-Jung Kim, Keonhee E. Kim, Cha Young Lee, Yonghwan Park, Jong-Kook Jung and Youngwoo Nam
Forests 2022, 13(12), 2117; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122117 - 10 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1617
Abstract
One of the subspecies of the Eurasian spongy moth, Lymantria dispar asiatica, is a destructive forest pest in native regions and also an important quarantine pest in non-native regions. Its polyphagous nature, together with occasional outbreaks, may seriously threaten ecosystems and result [...] Read more.
One of the subspecies of the Eurasian spongy moth, Lymantria dispar asiatica, is a destructive forest pest in native regions and also an important quarantine pest in non-native regions. Its polyphagous nature, together with occasional outbreaks, may seriously threaten ecosystems and result in costly management programs. In this study, we examined the effect of chilling temperatures (−12, −6, 0, 6, and 12 °C) during the diapause phase on the survival and post-diapause development of L. d. asiatica eggs, collected before winter, in order to characterize their thermal response. The eggs were exposed to treatment temperatures for 100 days, followed by 25 °C incubation to determine their survival and development time. The eggs hatched in all the treatments, indicating that all the examined conditions could partly or sufficiently satisfy the thermal requirement for eggs to enter post-diapause development. However, exposure to chilling temperatures significantly affected both the survival and development times of overwintering eggs in a given temperature range. The survival rates declined at −12 °C, and the development rates accelerated as the chilling temperature increased. This information could offer clues for the assessment of the outbreak potential in native regions and the possibility of range expansion in non-native regions through the consideration of winter conditions that favor L. d. asiatica egg hatching and their subsequent development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)
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