Mountain pine beetle-associated blue-stain fungi are differentially adapted to boreal temperatures

Mountain pine beetles (MPB) are the most serious pest of lodgepole pine in Canada and are likely to invade boreal jack pine forests. MPB vector three blue-stain fungi, Grosmannia clavigera, Ophiostoma montium and Leptographium longiclavatum, which contribute to beetle success. Fungal survival at extreme boreal temperatures will contribute to their success in jack pine. Growth, sporulation and survival of the three fungi at −20 to 37°C were tested in vitro. Overwintering survival of G. clavigera and O. montium was assessed in vivo. All species grew at 5–30°C, with optimal growth at 20–25°C. Grosmannia clavigera and L. longiclavatum survived at −20°C, but O. montium died. Growth of G. clavigera and L. longiclavatum was inhibited at 30°C, but O. montium grew well. Grosmannia clavigera and O. montium overwintered in living pines. These results suggest that G. clavigera and L. longiclavatum were adapted to cold boreal winters but not hot summers, with the converse true for O. montium. Temperature tolerance varied among G. clavigera isolates. British Columbian and Californian isolates grew faster at 25°C than Albertan isolates. Isolates from Alberta and Idaho/Montana grew optimally at 20°C, while British Columbian and Californian isolates grew optimally at 25°C.     

A comparison of heat pulse velocity and lesion lengths for assessing the relative virulence of mountain pine beetle‐associated fungi on jack pine

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) vectors three blue‐stain fungi, Grosmannia clavigera, Ophiostoma montium and Leptographium longiclavatum, which contribute to the success of the beetles and the death of the trees. The utility of two methods, heat pulse velocity (HPV) and lesion length, for assessing the relative virulence of these fungi were compared on jack pine in central Alberta. The HPV monitoring apparatus failed to detect xylem sap flow in any of the trees and, thus, could not be used to assess fungal virulence. In contrast, measurement of lesion lengths was more sensitive and provided further evidence that G. clavigera and L. longiclavatum are more virulent than O. montium. The failure of the HPV apparatus to detect sap flow suggests that the study trees were moisture stressed, a factor likely to increase their susceptibility to MPB. Thus, this method is not appropriate for assessing the response of the most susceptible (i.e. drought stressed) trees to MPB and its associated fungi.     

Influence of fire and mountain pine beetle on the dynamics of lodgepole pine stands in British Columbia,Canada

An outbreak of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins; MPB), currently affecting over 10.1 million hectares of lodgepole pine forests (Pinus contorta Dougl.) in British Columbia, Canada, is the largest in recorded history. We examined the dynamics of even-aged lodgepole pine forests in southern British Columbia, which were undergoing this MPB outbreak. Using dendroecology and forest measurements we reconstructed the stand processes of stand initiation, stand disturbances, tree mortality, and regeneration, and explained the current stand structure and the potential MPB impacts in selected stands. Our results indicate that stand-replacing fires initiated even-aged seral lodgepole pine stands in this region. In the absence of fire in the 20th century, multiple MPB disturbances, which each resulted in partial canopy removal, modified the simple one-layer structure of the fire-origin stands by the initiation of post-MPB disturbance regeneration layers, transforming the stands into complex, multi-aged stands. Despite high overstory mortality due to the current MPB outbreak, regeneration layers, which are likely to survive the current outbreak, will provide important ecological legacies and will contribute to mid-term timber supply.     

The influence of mountain pine beetle outbreaks and drought on severe wildfires in northwestern Colorado and southern Wyoming: A look at the past century

Outbreaks of bark beetles and drought both lead to concerns about increased fire risk, but the relative importance of these two factors is the subject of much debate. We examined how mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreaks and drought have contributed to the fire regime of lodgepole pine forests in northwestern Colorado and adjacent areas of southern Wyoming over the past century. We used dendroecological methods to reconstruct the pre-fire history of MPB outbreaks in twenty lodgepole pine stands that had burned between 1939 and 2006 and in 20 nearby lodgepole pine stands that were otherwise similar but that had not burned. Our data represent c. 80% of all large fires that had occurred in lodgepole pine forests in this study area over the past century. We also compared Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and actual evapotranspiration (AET) values between fire years and non-fire years. Burned stands were no more likely to have been affected by outbreak prior to fires than were nearby unburned stands. However, PDSI and AET values were both lower during fire years than during non-fire years. This work indicates that climate has been more important than outbreaks to the fire regime of lodgepole pine forests in this region over the past century. Indeed, we found no detectable increase in the occurrence of high-severity fires following MPB outbreaks. Dry conditions, rather than changes in fuels associated with outbreaks, appear to be most limiting to the occurrence of severe fires in these forests.     

Associations between Pityogenes bidentatus and fungi in young managed Scots pine stands in Poland

The association between Pityogenes bidentatus and fungi was studied in young, managed Pinus sylvestris stands in Poland. Fungi were isolated from emerged adults and their galleries collected from four populations. In total, 2089 fungal isolates including 42 species, were obtained. Penicillium sp. 1 and Geosmithia sp. 1 were the most commonly isolated fungi from beetles (49% and 41% of beetles respectively). Geosmithia sp. 1 species was the dominant species in P. bidentatus galleries with a frequency of occurrence of 57.9%. Hormonema dematioides was the second most abundant fungus in gallery systems (17.1% of wood samples). Two of the isolated Geosmithia species were previously undescribed. Pityogenes bidentatus also vectored three ophiostomatoid species: Ophiostoma minus, O. piceae and Graphium sp. ‘W’. These species were occasionally isolated from beetles and their galleries, suggesting a non-specific relationship.     

Effect of spacing on 23-year-old lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia) in southern Sweden

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare volume growth and external timber quality properties of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia) stands planted in different spacings (1.41×1.41, 2.00×2.00, 2.83×2.83, 4.00×4.00) in southern Sweden. In northern Sweden lodgepole pine has been grown for a long time and shows superior volume production compared to Scots pine (Pinus Sylvestris L.). The Swedish Forestry Act restricts establishment of lodgepole pine plantations in southern Sweden. However, it is important to increase the knowledge about lodgepole pine and its potential use also in this part of the country. Two experiments in southern Sweden were studied. Each trial was designed as a random block experiment with two blocks. Both investigated stands had an age of 23 years at the time of assessment. The mean diameter and the volume production differed significantly between the spacings. The highest volume production was found in the narrowest spacing, 313% compared to the widest spacing. Significant differences between spacings were also found concerning external quality traits. The frequency of dominant and co-dominant trees without defects was 24% in the most open spacing compared to 46% in the narrowest one. Under current circumstances approximately 2500 seedlings/ha in the initial stand seems to be a reasonable compromise between growth, diameter development and timber quality.     

Evaluation of competitive effects of green alder,willow and other tall shrubs on white spruce and lodgepole pine in Northern Alberta

In boreal forests of western Canada, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) often grow together with numerous tall shrubs such as green alder (Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh) and little-tree willow (Salix spp.). In an area south of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, we examined the effects of shrubs, herbs and other trees on nutrient and light availability and growth of white spruce and lodgepole pine. For white spruce the best competition measure (tested against volume increments of the past 3 years) was visually estimated % ground cover times the height of the competitor (VCHT) with light (DIFN) ranking in third place. For lodgepole pine, DIFN was the best competition measure for predicting volume increment and the best competition index was again VCHT. Taller conifers had a stronger competitive effect than tall shrubs, with their effect on white spruce being larger than that on lodgepole pine.     

Tree regeneration and future stand development after bark beetle infestation and harvesting in Colorado lodgepole pine stands

In the southern Rocky Mountains, current mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) outbreaks and associated harvesting have set millions of hectares of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex Wats.) forest onto new stand development trajectories. Information about immediate, post-disturbance tree regeneration will provide insight on dynamics of future stand composition and structure. We compared tree regeneration in eight paired harvested and untreated lodgepole pine stands in the Fraser Experimental Forest that experienced more than 70% overstory mortality due to beetles. New seedlings colonized both harvested and untreated stands in the first years after the beetle outbreak. In harvested areas the density of new seedlings, predominantly lodgepole pine and aspen, was four times higher than in untreated stands. Annual height growth of pine and fir advance regeneration (e.g., trees established prior to the onset of the outbreak) has doubled following overstory mortality in untreated stands. Growth simulations based on our regeneration data suggest that stand basal area and stem density will return to pre-beetle levels in untreated and harvested stands within 80-105 years. Furthermore, lodgepole pine will remain the dominant species in harvested stands over the next century, but subalpine fir will become the most abundant species in untreated areas. Owing to terrain, economic and administrative limitations, active management will treat a small fraction (<15%) of the forests killed by pine beetle. Our findings suggest that the long-term consequences of the outbreak will be most dramatic in untreated forests where the shift in tree species composition will influence timber and water production, wildfire behavior, wildlife habitat and other forest attributes.     

Nitrogen cycling following mountain pine beetle disturbance in lodgepole pine forests of Greater Yellowstone

Widespread bark beetle outbreaks are currently affecting multiple conifer forest types throughout western North America, yet many ecosystem-level consequences of this disturbance are poorly understood. We quantified the effect of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak on nitrogen (N) cycling through litter, soil, and vegetation in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (WY, USA) across a 0-30 year chronosequence of time-since-beetle disturbance. Recent (1-4 years) bark beetle disturbance increased total litter depth and N concentration in needle litter relative to undisturbed stands, and soils in recently disturbed stands were cooler with greater rates of net N mineralization and nitrification than undisturbed sites. Thirty years after beetle outbreak, needle litter N concentration remained elevated; however total litter N concentration, total litter mass, and soil N pools and fluxes were not different from undisturbed stands. Canopy N pool size declined 58% in recent outbreaks, and remained 48% lower than undisturbed in 30-year old outbreaks. Foliar N concentrations in unattacked lodgepole pine trees and an understory sedge were positively correlated with net N mineralization in soils across the chronosequence. Bark beetle disturbance altered N cycling through the litter, soil, and vegetation of lodgepole pine forests, but changes in soil N cycling were less severe than those observed following stand replacing fire. Several lines of evidence suggest the potential for N leaching is low following bark beetle disturbance in lodgepole pine.     

Potential effects of climate change on the growth of lodgepole pine across diameter size classes and ecological regions

We examined 65 lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) sites in Alberta using a dendrochronological approach in order to examine the relationships between climate and growth of lodgepole pine across elevational ecoregions and diameter size classes. The 4 elevational ecoregions sampled included the Boreal Highlands (BH: 13 sites); the Foothills (FH: 36 sites); a grouping of the montane and subalpine zones of the southern Rocky Mountains (RM: 12 sites); and the montane zone of the Cypress Hills (CH: 4 sites). The first diameter size class was comprised of the three largest (top) diameter trees at each site. The tree list of each plot was ranked, then divided into three groups of equal basal area and the tree at the midpoint of each group (small, medium, and large) was selected for the other three size classes. Annual growth in basal area of lodgepole pine was generally sensitive to heat and moisture stress in late summer of the previous year, the degree of winter harshness, and the timing of the start of the growing season. Growth was inhibited by low temperature in all winter months at the most northern BH sites which had the coldest winters, but this effect was interrupted in some of the midwinter months in the more southerly sites in the RM, and we postulated this was due to the damaging influences of Chinook winds. Interannual growth patterns were strongly correlated between top diameter trees and the other classes, and trees of all diameter classes generally responded to climate in the same way, which indicated that it is sufficient to sample only the largest diameter trees in a stand to provide insight into growth–climate relationships. The forecasted growth estimates indicate that future climate warming will negatively impact the productivity of lodgepole pine in the FH, the heart of lodgepole distribution and productivity in Alberta.     

Stand characteristics and downed woody debris accumulations associated with a mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) outbreak in Colorado

Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.)-dominated ecosystems in north-central Colorado are undergoing rapid and drastic changes associated with overstory tree mortality from a current mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) outbreak. To characterize stand characteristics and downed woody debris loads during the first 7 years of the outbreak, 221 plots (0.02 ha) were randomly established in infested and uninfested stands distributed across the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado. Mountain pine beetle initially attacked stands with higher lodgepole pine basal area, and lower density and basal area of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii [Parry]), and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. var. lasiocarpa) compared to uninfested plots. Mountain pine beetle-affected stands had reduced total and lodgepole pine stocking and quadratic mean diameter. The density and basal area of live overstory lodgepole declined by 62% and 71% in infested plots, respectively. The mean diameter of live lodgepole pine was 53% lower than pre-outbreak in infested plots. Downed woody debris loads did not differ between uninfested plots and plots currently infested at the time of sampling to 3 or 4–7 years after initial infestation, but the projected downed coarse wood accumulations when 80% of the mountain pine beetle-killed trees fall indicated a fourfold increase. Depth of the litter layer and maximum height of grass and herbaceous vegetation were greater 4–7 years after initial infestation compared to uninfested plots, though understory plant percent cover was not different. Seedling and sapling density of all species combined was higher in uninfested plots but there was no difference between infested and uninfested plots for lodgepole pine alone. For trees ≥2.5 cm in diameter at breast height, the density of live lodgepole pine trees in mountain pine beetle-affected stands was higher than Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and aspen, (Populus tremuloides Michx.), in diameter classes comprised of trees from 2.5 cm to 30 cm in diameter, suggesting that lodgepole pine will remain as a dominant overstory tree after the bark beetle outbreak.     

Comparative susceptibility of pine,spruce and larch to sapstain

Summary This study compared the susceptibility of five UK‐grown conifer species to colonization by sapstain fungi in two trials carried out in consecutive years. The conifers consisted of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi), Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Freshly cut 1‐m logs were exposed to the available inoculum of sapstain fungi from April to August in a woodland environment in the south east of England. Logs of each species were removed after 1‐, 2‐ and 4‐month exposure and sampled destructively to assess the amount of sapstain. In the second trial, per cent moisture content and concentrations of nitrogen, carbohydrate and phenolic compounds in the sapwood were also measured at the start and end of the trial. After 2 months, only the sapwood of both pine species had significant levels of sapstain; mean values of 37% and 19% for lodgepole pine (year 1 and year 2 respectively) and 12% and 1% for Scots pine. After 4 months, the levels of sapstain in both pine species exceeded 60% in both years. By contrast, very little sapstain developed in the other conifer species with maximum mean values of 10% for Norway spruce, 3.5% for larch and less than 1% for Sitka spruce. Overall, the moisture content of the logs decreased progressively in all species over the length of the trial. However, pine logs tended to retain higher levels of moisture throughout the trial compared with spruce or larch. The relatively higher moisture content of pine sapwood may be closer to the optimal moisture content that sapstain fungi require for infection and colonization, thereby contributing to the increased susceptibility of pine compared with the other conifer species. The pine logs also suffered from some colonization by bark beetles (Ips sexdentatus), which increased the inoculum potential and the opportunity for colonization by sapstain fungi. In addition, particular phenolic compounds in conifer sapwood may play a role in determining the resistance of some species to sapstain. Notably the most resistant species, Sitka spruce, was the only softwood that still retained detectable levels of phenolics in the sapwood to the end of the trial.     

Swedish lodgepole pine seed orchard crops tested in north-west Russia

Abstract

Tree vitality and height of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) originating from the six Swedish seed orchards and native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were estimated in three 8-yr-old test plantations established in the Komi Republic (north-west Russia). A randomized row-plot design with 9–13 replicates of each entry was used. In general, the Scots pine tree vitality was better than that of lodgepole pine but these differences were significant only for seed sources of southern origins Larslund, Rumhult, and Österby. On the contrary, the lodgepole pine height growth was faster (6–21%) except for seed sources of southern origins Rumhult and Österby. In comparison with the native Scots pine, lower mean heights (4–10%) were recorded for these seed sources. Among the lodgepole pine seed sources the northern origins had better vitality, while the effect of latitude on the tree height was insignificant.     

Comparison of bluestain fungi grown in vitro and in freshly cut pine billets

Both moulds and bluestain fungi cause serious economic losses and much research is aimed at finding environmentally and economically acceptable methods of control. Despite this, there has been little study of the growth of these fungi in freshly cut wood unaltered by drying or sterilization and which therefore resembles the substratum normally invaded under natural field conditions. Thus, the growth of six sapstain fungi was compared at 20°C in freshly cut pine billets and on three types of artificial media (MEA, TWA and Pine Sapwood agar). The fungi comprised Ceratocystis coerulescens, Leptographium wingfieldii, Ophiostoma minus, Ophiostoma piceae, Phacidium coniferarum and Sphaeropsis sapinea. The six species varied markedly in their linear growth rate on agar media. In pine billets, they extended at different rates in longitudinal, radial and tangential directions, showing different pathogenic ability and patterns of colonization. Some species appeared to be ‘xylem preferring’ while others colonized the phloem tissue more readily. The growth of C. coerulescens in pine billets was very rapid (19.4 mm/day) and on average was more than twice as fast as on MEA, suggesting it was strongly stimulated by living pine tissue. The fungi also tended to grow more slowly in logs cut between autumn and spring compared with those harvested in mid- to late summer.     

An empirical model of crown shyness for lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia [Engl.] Critch.) in British Columbia

Crown shyness or canopy disengagement, the phenomenon wherein gaps around trees develop from swaying, whipping and shading, has been identified in the literature since the 1920s. Recent results by researchers at the University of Alberta have clearly described many of the processes involved for lodgepole pine [e.g. Rudnicki, M., Silins, U., Lieffers, V.J., Josi, G., 2001. Measure of simultaneous tree sways and estimation of crown interactions among a group of trees. Trees 15, 83–90; Rudnicki, M., Lieffers, V.J., Silins, U., 2003. Stand structure governs the crown collisions of lodgepole pine, Canadian Journal of Forestry Research 33, 1238–1244; Rudnicki, M., Silins, U., Lieffers, V.J., 2004. Crown cover is correlated with relative density, tree slenderness, and tree height in lodgepole pine. Forest Science 50, 356–363; Fish, H., Lieffers, V.J., Silins, U., Hall, R.J., 2006. Crown shyness in lodgepole pine stands of varying stand height, density, and site index in the upper foothills of Alberta. Canadian Journal of Forestry Research 9, 2104–2111]. However, explicit models of crown shyness are sparse in the literature. This paper describes the development of empirical models of crown shyness in lodgepole pine for British Columbia (BC). We measured crown area and neighbour locations on 60 trees growing in 13 stands in central BC. We estimated potential crown area (A_V) using stem maps and Voronoi polygons constrained by estimates of maximum crown width, and then related observed crown area (A_C) to A_V and additional individual tree variables. One of the nine prediction equations was coded into a spatially explicit tree growth model modified to evaluate the effects of crown shyness at the stand level. Crown shyness models validated well against two independent sources and when linked with a light model tRAYci [Brunner, A., 1998. A light model for spatially explicit forest stand models. Forest Ecology and Management 107, 19–46], increased the below-canopy light by 0.07–0.11.     

Incidence and importance of Crumenula sororia on Lodgepole pine

In stands of Lodgepole pine over 6 years old, 68% of stems in Climatic Zones A and B, characterised by a relatively short growing season, and 63 % of stems in Climatic Zone C were infected by Crumenula sororia. On individual trees, the number of stem whorls showing C. sororia infection increased significantly with increasing stand elevation and with decreasing exposure in crops on Alberta and Shuswap Lake provenances over 30 years old, whereas in Shuswap, Long Beach and Vancouver Island stands less than 30 years old, increasing elevation and decreasing exposure had little effect on numbers of infected whorls. The numbers of infected whorls were not related to compartment aspect in crops of Alberta provenance, whereas in stands of Shuswap Lake, Long Beach and Vancouver Island provenances, W, SW and S-facing compartments showed fewer infections. In contrast the numbers of active cankers showed a positive correlation with increasing compartment elevation and exposure. In Zones B and C, cankers were concentrated on Northerly and Westerly aspects of individual stems. The evidence suggests that particular climatic regimes in different zones of the tree and in different ages of crop may be critical in determining the success of failure of infection by C. sororia.     

Field survival of containerized red and jack pine seedlings inoculated with mycelial slurries of ectomycorrhizal fungi

Red pine and jack pine seedlings growing in styroblocks were inoculated 8 wk after sowing with mycelium/agar slurries of 3 mycorrhizal fungi (Laccaria bicolor, Scleroderma citrinum, and an unidentified basidiomycete), and one suspected mycorrhizal fungus (Cantharellula umbonata). Seedlings inoculated with L. bicolor developed mycorrhizae earlier and in greater numbers than the other inoculation treatments, with red pine out-performing jack pine in both respects. At 34 wk following sowing, seedlings were outplanted on a cleared xeric site in Baraga Co., in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Seedlings inoculated with C. umbonata failed to form mycorrhizae and were not outplanted. Inoculation treatments did not affect shoot or root weight at outplanting. Red pine inoculated with L. bicolor averaged 21% and 19% greater survival compared with control seedlings after one and two years in the field, respectively. Other inoculation treatments failed to increase seedling survival for either tree species. Jack pine demonstrated higher overall survival than did red pine for both years in all corresponding inoculation treatments.     

Evidence that soil fertility controls the mixing of jack pine with trembling aspen

Jack pine and trembling aspen are boreal tree species that are found growing either in naturally regenerated mono-specific stands, or in mixed-wood stands. We conducted a field survey and a manipulative field study to test the productivity-diversity hypothesis, which predicts that mixed-wood stands are more likely to occur on fertile soils, or following fertilization. We surveyed 44 mixed-wood stands and found 43 of these occurring on fertile clay deposits, and only one occurring on a nutrient poor till deposit. By contrast, the area surveyed comprised 45% clay and 55% till deposits. In a second study, we conducted a five year fertilization and brushing trial in a recently burned area dominated by jack pine saplings with patches of regenerating trembling aspen. Fertilization without brushing improved the growth and recruitment of aspen stems, but had no effect on jack pine growth and recruitment. Fertilization + brushing increased the growth of jack pine. Brushing the aspen, with or without fertilization, resulted in higher recruitment of jack pine. We conclude that soil fertility controls the mixing of jack pine with trembling aspen, that fertilization increases the likelihood of encroachment of aspen into areas formerly dominated by jack pine, and that brushing along with fertilization is necessary to promote jack pine growth.     

Competitive interactions between juvenile trembling aspen and lodgepole pine: A comparison of two interior British Columbia ecosystems

To facilitate ecosystem-specific management of juvenile mixtures of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. Ex Loud. Var. latifolia Engelm.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in south-central British Columbia, we compared the characteristics of pine–aspen competition between a moist sub-boreal spruce and a dry interior Douglas-fir ecosystem. A total of 252 lodgepole pine and their neighbourhoods were examined across four untreated stands, each of which was sampled three times between ages 12 and 24 years. Pine diameter and height decreased with increasing density of trembling aspen at least as tall as the target pine (tall aspen) in both ecosystems. Regression analysis was used to examine the ability of tall aspen density and four competition indices (CIs) to predict pine size. Tall aspen density, which is easily assessed in the field, accounted for 63% and 69% of the variation in pine diameter and height in 20–24 year-old stands, respectively. The most successful competition index, based on the basal diameter ratio (BDR) of trembling aspen to pine accounted for, respectively, 78% and 73% of the variation. In the same stands, R² values were 1–5% lower when tall aspen density and BDR at age 15–19 years were used to predict size of 20–24-year-old pine.     

Diplodia shoot blight and asymptomatic persistence of Diplodia pinea on or in stems of jack pine nursery seedlings

Diplodia pinea (syn. Sphaeropsis sapinea) is known as a major cause of damage to red pine (Pinus resinosa) seedlings in nurseries. The fungus can also be a latent pathogen of red pine seedlings, persisting in the absence of gross symptoms and later proliferating under conditions that induce host stress. In the fall of 2004, three nurseries in Wisconsin were surveyed to determine the potential for the occurrence of Diplodia shoot blight on jack pine (Pinus banksiana) seedlings and the persistence of D. pinea on or in asymptomatic seedlings of this species. Incidence of shoot blight was quantified in five 1 m long segments of an interior row in each of two survey areas in each nursery. The pathogen was identified on symptomatic seedlings collected in these areas on the basis of presence of characteristic pycnidia and conidia. Five groups of 20 asymptomatic seedlings were also collected in each of the two survey areas in each nursery. A segment of the lower stem/root collar from each of these asymptomatic seedlings was surface‐disinfested and culturally assayed using tannic acid agar. The mean incidence of shoot blight (as high as 9%) and mean frequency of cultural detection from asymptomatic seedlings (as high as 20%) were greatest in proximity to red pine windbreaks which are a source of inoculum. Only D. pinea was confirmed from subsets of symptomatic and asymptomatic seedlings which were tested using mt SSU rDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers that allow differentiation of D. pinea from D. scrobiculata and other fungi in the genus Botryosphaeria and related anamorphic fungi. Jack pine seedlings inoculated with D. pinea isolates obtained from asymptomatic nursery seedlings developed shoot blight symptoms in greenhouse trials. Thus, the ability of D. pinea to damage jack pine seedlings in nurseries has been documented and the potential for virulent strains of this latent pathogen to be distributed on asymptomatic jack pine seedlings from nurseries has been confirmed.