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Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 26533

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Prof. Dr. Piotr Łakomy

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Department of Forest Pathology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 61-637 Poznań, Poland
Interests: forest tree diseases especially Armillaria and Heterobasidion diseases, biodiversity of fungi in wood debris, biological control

Prof. Dr. Tomasz Oszako

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Department of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute in Sękocin Stary, Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
Interests: forest protection; plant pathology; oomycetes; biodiversity; e-nose; BCA; IPM; VOC; GC-MS; phosphites; phosphogipsum; silicon
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Dr. Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk

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Department of Forest Phytopathology, Nature University of Poznan, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71 C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Interests: fungal identification; plant protection; fungal community; forest pathology; biodiversity; dead wood
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Dr. Lassaâd Belbahri

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Laboratory of Soil Biology, Department of Biology, University of Neuchatel, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
Interests: oomycete plant pathogens; phytophthora; biotechnological applications of fungal enzymes
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Dr. Jacek Piętka

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Department of Forest Protection, Institute of Forest Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: forest phytopathology; nature protection; mycology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The plant disease process is a compound biological phenomenon determined by four broadly understood factors: the host plant, the pathogen, the host plant’s environment and time.The changing environment affects the epidemic occurrence of forest tree diseases in large areas, the appearance of new diseases or the changes of organisms’ behavior to became pathogens. The environmental factors impact upon the resistance and susceptibility of trees and the virulence of pathogens. A proper understanding of the disease process, its determinants and its mechanisms is crucial in designing strategies for control against disease in trees and stands. New knowledge is essential in order to better manage forest health, and to maintain forest stability and biodiversity.

This Special Issue focuses on the interactions between forest trees and a wide range of pathogens and the forest environment in the context of disease development, the appearance of new pathogens in forest areas and the management of forest diseases. Studies dealing with simple tree–pathogen interactions and more complicated plant–pathogen–environment interactions in time, disease and pathogen ecology are welcomed. I encourage the submission of studies regarding forest health management, the use of various control methods with particular emphasis on the biological control method, and above all, Integrated Pest Management. Papers explaining the influence and importance of environmental factors on the development of pathogens or diseases are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Tomasz Oszako
Prof. Dr. Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
Dr. Lassaâd Belbahri
Prof. Dr. Piotr Łakomy
Dr. Jacek Piętka
Guest Editors

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Keywords

tree pathogens
interactions
forest health management
disease control

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 4756 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nursery Roosts Used by Barbastelle Bats, Barbastella barbastellus (Schreber, 1774) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in European Lowland Mixed Forest Transformed by Spruce Bark Beetle, Ips typographus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

by Alek Rachwald, Grzegorz Apoznański, Katarzyna Thor, Mirosław Więcek and Aneta Zapart

Forests 2022, 13(7), 1073; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071073 - 7 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2254

Abstract

Białowieża Primeval Forest (BPF, approx. 1700 km²) is an important forest area in Europe from the point of view of the protection of natural diversity. BPF is covered with old mixed tree stands of mostly natural origin. Norway spruce is a tree species in BPF and covers approx. 27% of its area. Between 2012 and 2017 a large outbreak of the bark beetle Ips typographus (Linnaeus, 1758) took place in the forest, which transformed the stands and left many dead standing trees. At that time salvage logging had begun but was stopped due to protests by scientists and activists and for legal reasons. As a result of research conducted using a radiotelemetry method in 2020, we found that the Western barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus (Schreber, 1774) chooses nursery roosts in dead Norway spruce trees, showing ecological plasticity by colonizing a newly available resource. Based on this, we found that the Western barbastelle has a preference for a type of roost rather than a tree species. Insect outbreaks in forests of primary, natural, or semi-natural origin are one of the natural factors that shape the habitat. Removal of dead standing trees disrupts these processes, and in this particular case results in the disappearance of a newly appeared ecological niche. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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18 pages, 2391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Report of Fungal Endophyte Communities and Non-Defensive Phytochemistry of Biocontrol-Inoculated Whitebark Pine Seedlings in a Restoration Planting

by Ehren R. V. Moler, Keith Reinhardt, Richard A. Sniezko and Ken Aho

Forests 2022, 13(6), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060824 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2133

Abstract

Plant endosymbionts (endophytes) influence host plant health and express genotype-dependent ecological relationships with plant hosts. A fungal species intended to confer host plant resistance to a forest pathogen was used as inoculum to test for effects of inoculation on disease resistance, microbiomes, and phytochemistry of a threatened pine species planted in a restoration setting. Correlations of inoculation presence/absence, phytochemistry, spatial location of seedlings, maternal seed sources, and fungal endophytic communities in the foliage of six-year-old whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) seedlings were assessed five years after an experimental inoculation of seedlings with foliar endophytic fungi cultured from whitebark pine trees at Crater Lake National Park, including Paramyrothecium roridum. We hypothesized that P. roridum would modify host microbiomes in a manner that combats white pine blister rust disease. Our assessment of seedlings in the field five years after inoculation allowed us to consider whether inoculation stimulated long-lasting changes in microbiome communities and whether effects varied by seedling genetic family. Tests for effects of endophyte inoculation on disease resistance were inconclusive due to current low levels of rust infection observed at the field site. Foliar fungal endophyte richness and Shannon diversity varied with maternal seed sources. Isotopic stoichiometry and phytochemistry did not vary with seedling spatial proximity, inoculation treatment, or maternal seed family. However, endophyte community composition varied with both seedling spatial proximity and maternal seed sources. Endophytic communities did not vary with the inoculation treatment, and the hypothesized biocontrol was not detected in inoculated seedlings. We draw three conclusions from this work: (1) fungal microbiomes of whitebark pine seedlings across our study site did not vary with host phytochemical signatures of ecophysiological status, (2) the inoculation of P. albicaulis seedlings with a mixture of fungal endophytes did not lead to persistent systemic changes in seedling foliar microbiomes, and (3) in correspondence with other studies, our data suggest that maternal seed source and spatial patterns influence fungal endophyte community composition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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16 pages, 5038 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evasive Planning for the Management of Eucalyptus Rust Austropuccinia psidii for Espírito Santo State, Brazil

by Lilianne Gomes da Silva, Waldir Cintra de Jesus Junior, José Eduardo Macedo Pezzopane, Fábio Ramos Alves, Willian Bucker Moraes, Daiani Bernardo Pirovani, Reginaldo Gonçalves Mafia, José Francisco Teixeira do Amaral, Plinio Antonio Guerra Filho, Thuelem Azevedo Curty, José Romário de Carvalho and Alexandre Rosa dos Santos

Forests 2022, 13(5), 646; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050646 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2231

Abstract

Eucalyptus is one of the most exploited forest genera on the planet. Eucalyptus has a variety of uses, mainly because of its great diversity and versatility. Brazil is among the main producers of cellulose, paper, and wood panels in the world. One of the factors limiting the production of Eucalyptus spp. is the occurrence of diseases such as rust caused by the fungus Austropuccinia psidii. This work aimed to map areas at risk of eucalyptus rust in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The study was carried out in two stages: (i) mapping the rust risk areas in the state through the Geographic Information System (GIS) and (ii) applying fuzzy standardization to the infection index to generate a risk index. It was found through GIS and fuzzy standardization that most of the areas surveyed presented medium to high risk of rust occurrence. Thus, it becomes necessary to adopt complementary management measures to control the disease, especially for the months of April to November. The methodology used in this study can be implemented for other diseases and forest species in other parts of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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20 pages, 10891 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Alleviation of Salt Stress via Habitat-Adapted Symbiosis

by Nour El Houda Rabhi, Hafsa Cherif-Silini, Allaoua Silini, Faizah N. Alenezi, Ali Chenari Bouket, Tomasz Oszako and Lassaȃd Belbahri

Forests 2022, 13(4), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13040586 - 8 Apr 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2448

Abstract

Halotolerant plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could not only promote plant growth, but also help in counteracting the detrimental effects of salt stress. In the present study, a total of 76 bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere, non-rhizospheric soil and endophytes of the halophyte Salsola tetrandra, collected from natural saline soils in Algeria. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rDNA sequence of Gram-negative bacteria (n = 51) identified, showed seventeen representative isolates grouped into four genera (Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, and Providencia). These bacterial isolates that exhibited different PGPR traits were selected and tested for their ability to tolerate different abiotic stress (NaCl, PEG8000, and pH). The majority of isolates were drought tolerant (60% of PEG8000) and had an optimal growth at high pH values (pH 9 and 11) and some strains tolerated 2 M of NaCl. Strains identified as Enterobacter xiangfangensis BE1, Providencia rettgeri BR5 and Pseudomonas stutzeri MLR6 showed high capacity of adaptation on their PGP traits. The salt-tolerant isolates were finally chosen to promote growth and enhance salt tolerance, separately or combined, of Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) exposed or not to 0.1 M NaCl, by following fresh and root weight, primary root elongation and lateral root number. The best bacterial effect was recorded for the MLR6 strain in increasing shoot fresh weight and for BE1 in terms of root fresh weight in the absence of salt stress. At stressed conditions, all growth parameters declined. However, inoculation of Arabidopsis thaliana with the three bacterial strains (MLR6, BE1 and BR5), single or in co-culture, conferred an increase in the shoot weight, primary root length and lateral root number. The use of these strains separately or combined as biofertilizers seems to be a powerful tool in the development of sustainable agriculture in saline soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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14 pages, 7072 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risk Prediction and Variable Analysis of Pine Wilt Disease by a Maximum Entropy Model

by Zhuoqing Hao, Guofei Fang, Wenjiang Huang, Huichun Ye, Biyao Zhang and Xiaodong Li

Forests 2022, 13(2), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020342 - 18 Feb 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2640

Abstract

Pine wilt disease (PWD) has caused a huge damage to pine forests. PWD is mainly transmitted by jumping diffusion, affected by insect vectors and human activities. Since the results of climate change, pine wood nematode (PWN—Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) has begun invading the temperate zones and higher elevation area. In this situation, predicting the distribution of PWD is an important part of the prevention and control of the epidemic situation. The research established the Maxent model to conduct a multi-angle, fine-scale prediction on the risk distribution of PWD. We adjusted two parameters, regularization multiplier (RM) and feature combination (FC), to optimize the model. Influence factors were selected and divided into natural, landscape, and human variables, according to the physical characteristics and spread rules of PWD. The middle-suitability regions and high-suitability regions are distributed in a Y-shape, and divided the study area into three parts. The high-suitability areas are concentrated in the region with high temperature, low elevation, and intensive precipitation. Among the selected variables, natural factors still play the most important role in the distribution of the disease, and human factors and landscape factors are also worked well. The permutation importance of factors is different due to differences in climate and other conditions in different regions. The multi-angle, fine-scale model can help provide useful information for effective control and tactical management of PWD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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22 pages, 5742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fungi Occurring in Norway Spruce Wood Decayed by Heterobasidion parviporum in Puszcza Borecka Stands (Northeastern Poland)

by Andrzej Szczepkowski, Waldemar Kowalczuk, Katarzyna Sikora, Marta Damszel and Zbigniew Sierota

Forests 2022, 13(2), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020229 - 3 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2689

Abstract

In many spruce stands, trees are frequently attacked by the pathogen Heterobasidion parviporum, albeit without visible symptoms in the crown. In the present work, the results of the presence of stem rot, assessed by PICUS Sonic Tomography, and the fungal biota on trees and stumps in eight plots in the Puszcza Borecka Forest are described. The plots were located in stands on original forest soil (4) and on post-agricultural soil (4), where around a stump with H. parviporum symptoms (signs of internal rot and basidiocarps), 30 trees were selected and examined for internal rot. Wood samples were collected from two selected trees for fungal molecular analysis. A total of 79 fungal taxa were found, including 57 taxa in plots on post-agricultural soil and 45 on forest soil. There were 395 fungal records on stumps and 22 records on trees, therein, from the inner parts of felled trunks. Significant differences in the Chao-1 diversity index indicate that the origin of the soil—post-agricultural or forest soil—influenced the alpha diversity of the fungal communities in the forests studied. The values of the Shannon and Simpson indices show that the two communities were similar in terms of species numbers. The presence of basidiomata of H. parviporum and two species of Armillaria (mainly A. cepistipes) in samples on all plots is striking, although Armillaria spp. was detected more frequently. Most of the species identified were typical saprotrophs, although rare species were also found, such as Entoloma byssisedum, Onnia tomentosa, Physisporinus vitreus, Postia ptychogaster, and Ramaria apiculata. The presence of H. parviporum in the inner woody parts was confirmed by PCR analysis, and decay was detected even up to a stem height of 6 m. Armillaria was the dominant genus in the studied stands and plays a significant and underestimated role in heartwood decay of old spruce trees in Puszcza Borecka Forest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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13 pages, 2401 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pathogenicity of Phytophthora× alni Isolates Obtained from Symptomatic Trees, Soil and Water against Alder

by Aleksandra Trzewik, Robert Maciorowski and Teresa Orlikowska

Forests 2022, 13(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010020 - 23 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2698

Abstract

Phytophthora alni complex (P. × alni, P. × multiformis, P. uniformis) are pathogens attacking alder seedlings and trees, causing significant losses in nurseries and natural tree stands. Decay of alder trees has been observed in Poland for over a dozen years. Overall, 25 Polish isolates of P. × alni obtained from symptomatic alder trunks, rhizosphere soil surrounding infected trees, and nearby natural streams were compared with isolates from symptomatic trunks obtained in France, Belgium and Hungary. Morphologic characterization of mycelium, vegetative and generative organs, temperature effect on mycelium growth, and their pathogenicity were studied. The mycelium growth rate of isolates from symptomatic plants was fastest on Carrot Agar (CA) medium, and from soil and water on Vegetable Agar (V8A) medium. The sizes of zoosporangia varied depending on their origin. The isolates that originated from the soil had the largest zoosporangia. The diameter of the oogonia and antheridia did not differ regardless of their origin. The results of pathogenicity tests of P. × alni isolates obtained from different sources showed that the soil isolates were the most aggressive in each test, followed by the isolates from the trunks and water. A simple test of leaf colonization can give an idea of the aggressiveness of the isolate towards the shoots and roots. No morphological or physiological markers of aggressiveness have been found. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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18 pages, 2851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is the Survivability of Silver Fir under Condition of Strong Ungulate Pressure Related to Mycobiota of Bark-Stripping Wounds?

by Wojciech Pusz, Anna Baturo-Cieśniewska, Agata Kaczmarek-Pieńczewska, Katarzyna Patejuk and Paweł Czarnota

Forests 2021, 12(8), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12080976 - 23 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2747

Abstract

The aim of the research was to check whether the healing of bark-stripping wounds of the silver fir tree trunks reduces the share of wood-decomposing fungi, which may be the result of inter-species interactions. The study carried out in Gorce National Park in Polish Western Carpathians analyzed drill holes of sapwood from three types of wounds (fresh, healed and old) on fir trunks with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 4.0–16.9 cm as a result of bark-stripping by red deer (Cervus elaphus). In the wood of fresh wounds Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl. and Arthrinium arundinis (Corda) Dyko & B. Sutton had the largest share in mycobiota. Phompsis spp. and the species Sydowia polyspora (Bref. & Tavel) E. Müll. and Epicoccum nigrum Link were also isolated. The dominants in old wounds were Eutypa spp., Phomopsis spp. and Cylindrobasidium evolvens (Fr.) Jülich. Healed wounds were dominated by Trichoderma atroviride P. Karst, a fungus antagonistic to many fungal pathogens. Such properties are shared by A. arundinis, especially common in fresh wound wood. It seems that these fungi support the process of wounded tree regeneration (healing of wounds) and limit the activity of wood-decaying fungi in old age, which makes fir survival very high. Thus, even a strong red deer pressure cannot be considered the basic factor determining the dynamics of fir in this part of the Carpathians. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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Review

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13 pages, 1938 KiB

Open AccessReview

Potentials of Endophytic Fungi in the Biosynthesis of Versatile Secondary Metabolites and Enzymes

by Houda Ben Slama, Ali Chenari Bouket, Faizah N. Alenezi, Zeinab Pourhassan, Patrycja Golińska, Tomasz Oszako and Lassaad Belbahri

Forests 2021, 12(12), 1784; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121784 - 16 Dec 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4786

Abstract

World population growth and modernization have engendered multiple environmental problems: the propagation of humans and crop diseases and the development of multi-drug-resistant fungi, bacteria and viruses. Thus, a considerable shift towards eco-friendly products has been seen in medicine, pharmacy, agriculture and several other vital sectors. Nowadays, studies on endophytic fungi and their biotechnological potentials are in high demand due to their substantial, cost-effective and eco-friendly contributions in the discovery of an array of secondary metabolites. For this review, we provide a brief overview of plant–endophytic fungi interactions and we also state the history of the discovery of the untapped potentialities of fungal secondary metabolites. Then, we highlight the huge importance of the discovered metabolites and their versatile applications in several vital fields including medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, industry and bioremediation. We then focus on the challenges and on the possible methods and techniques that can be used to help in the discovery of novel secondary metabolites. The latter range from endophytic selection and culture media optimization to more in-depth strategies such as omics, ribosome engineering and epigenetic remodeling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Health Management: Interaction between Forest Trees, Pathogens and Environment)

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