Biology and Control of Invasive Arthropods and Pathogens on Woody Species

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 11545

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Life Sciences, PL60-637 Poznań, Poland
Interests: plant–insect interactions; shrub species; silviculture; ecophysiology; forests and insects ecology; climate change and forestry; particulate matter pollution; game management; social dimensions of forest; invasive species and biological control
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Guest Editor
Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, PL62-035 Kórnik, Poland
Interests: plant–insect interactions; gall and mine insect biology; experimental entomology; defense strategies of trees against herbivores and pathogens; climate changes consequences for forestry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

          Arthropods and microorganisms are very important components of forest ecosystems, as they play crucial roles in many ecological processes. Taking into account the need of a sustainable development of forests, understanding shifts in trophic interactions among fixed environmental elements and invasive species acquires central importance. The aim of this Special Issue of Forests is to comprehensively explore basic topics of the biology and ecology of various invasive insects and pathogens affecting woody species. Discoveries regarding fundamental issues are very often the basis for developing practical solutions to deal with the challenges posed by invasive insects, pathogens, plants, and animals. We especially expect original cutting-edge studies in the field of plant, insect, and pathogen interactions, discussing future practical solutions for minimizing the impacts of pests and diseases on woody species and providing a better understanding of the processes to be considered for the management of forest ecosystems. Thus, this Special Issue is also focused on plant defensive responses within a dynamic environment.

         This Special Issue welcomes studies on broad research topics related to alien/invasive insects and pathogens of urban and woody species from around the world. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, those briefly indicated by the keywords presented below. Both observational and experimental original studies conducted in the field as well as in laboratory conditions are of interest, although theoretical approaches (simulation modelling, literature reviews with a full summary of a species status, meta-analyses, etc.) are also welcome if within the scope of the Special Issue. Short communications presenting relevant preliminary results or new methods and commentaries will also be considered for publication.

Dr. Adrian Łukowski
Prof. Dr. Marian J. Giertych
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • alien species
  • arthropod–pathogen interactions
  • best practice management
  • biological control
  • biology and ecology of pests and pathogens
  • dispersal modelling
  • ecological and economic impacts
  • introduced species
  • management tools
  • monitoring
  • natural enemies
  • new emerging and invasive species
  • outbreak
  • pest and disease management
  • plant defence
  • plant-insect interactions
  • population and community dynamics
  • risk assessment
  • tree pests
  • tree pathogens
  • tripartite interactions

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1968 KiB  
Article
Population Development of Alien Gall-Forming Aphid Tetraneura nigriabdominalis on Ulmus minor and Ulmus glabra
by Beata Borowiak-Sobkowiak, Roma Durak, Katarzyna Kmieć and Urszula Walczak
Forests 2022, 13(7), 1069; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071069 - 07 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1274
Abstract
Tetraneura (Tetraneurella) nigriabdominalis (Sasaki, 1899) is a holocyclic and heteroecious species widely distributed throughout the world. Its primary hosts are various elm species, on which it forms galls. The results of this study complement those of previous research on the development [...] Read more.
Tetraneura (Tetraneurella) nigriabdominalis (Sasaki, 1899) is a holocyclic and heteroecious species widely distributed throughout the world. Its primary hosts are various elm species, on which it forms galls. The results of this study complement those of previous research on the development of T. nigriabdominalis on primary hosts. Our research was conducted on two elm species, Ulmus minor and Ulmus glabra, at three locations and for three successive seasons between 2017 and 2019. Fundatrices hatched between 27 April and 12 May. The first galls were observed 6–8 days after the hatching date of the fundatrices. On average, there were 1–7.5 galls on one leaf. The highest abundances of T. nigriabdominalis galls were found in the medial and basal parts of the leaf blades. The fundatrices matured within 12–21 days after hatching and produced nymphs within 2–3 weeks. The fecundity of the fundatrices was influenced by the temperature in April, the size of the laminae, and the size of the galls. The females developing on U. glabra were more fecund (2–58 nymphs), whereas those developing on U. minor produced 1–29 nymphs. The winged migrants of the second generation appeared between late May and late June, when the first cracks on the galls were also observed. The entire development of two aphid generations on the primary host was temperature-dependent and lasted from four to almost six weeks. Our results show that U. glabra and U. minor are suitable hosts for T. nigriabdominalis. The development of aphids proceeded similarly on both tree species. Temperature, especially in April, significantly influenced the duration of individual developmental phases and the fecundity of fundatrices. Full article
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18 pages, 4373 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Biocontrol Potential of Two Ash Endophytes against Hymenoscyphus fraxineus Using In Vitro Plant–Fungus Dual Cultures
by Katarzyna Nawrot-Chorabik, Natalia Marcol-Rumak and Dariusz Latowski
Forests 2021, 12(12), 1750; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121750 - 11 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2571
Abstract
Development of effective biocontrol procedures using ash endophytes to combat an ash pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus would be an appropriate contribution to the ongoing effort to protect European ash stands against ash decline. In this study we investigated the biocontrol potential of two ash [...] Read more.
Development of effective biocontrol procedures using ash endophytes to combat an ash pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus would be an appropriate contribution to the ongoing effort to protect European ash stands against ash decline. In this study we investigated the biocontrol potential of two ash endophytes, Thielavia basicola and Minimidochium sp., against H. fraxineus using in vitro plant-fungus and fungus-fungus dual cultures approach in three biocontrol models. The tests aimed to determine whether the endophytes show antagonism toward Fraxinus excelsior and F. pennsylvanica, to assess the level of antagonism of the endophytes toward H. fraxineus and to identify potential secondary metabolites induced by the presence of H. fraxineus. The results that dual culture experiments modeled according to our design may be a very useful tool to precisely study biocontrol potential of fungi, i.e., without the impact of environmental factors. Such experiments also enable the selection of most resistant ash genotypes and rapid propagation, producing large numbers of pathogen-free seedlings. It should be noted, however, that both of the endophytes tested in the dual cultures strongly inhibited the growth of H. fraxineus. Their growth under the influence of callus/seedlings was also inhibited. Comparison of HPLC profiles showed that the presence of H. fraxineus in the post-culture medium induced the production of an unknown secondary metabolite in this species. Such results suggest that some of the plant–fungus combinations examined in this study may have potential to be developed as biocontrol methods, thus increasing the survivability of ash stands under natural conditions. Full article
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15 pages, 4559 KiB  
Article
Could Pine Wood Nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) Cause Pine Wilt Disease or Even Establish inside Healthy Trees in Finland Now—Or Ever?
by Juha Tuomola, Hannah Gruffudd, Kimmo Ruosteenoja and Salla Hannunen
Forests 2021, 12(12), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121679 - 01 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2856
Abstract
Pine wilt disease (PWD) caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) can, in suitable conditions, lead to mass mortality of susceptible trees. In the European Union, PWN is a quarantine pest. To support PWN risk management in Finland, we assessed [...] Read more.
Pine wilt disease (PWD) caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) can, in suitable conditions, lead to mass mortality of susceptible trees. In the European Union, PWN is a quarantine pest. To support PWN risk management in Finland, we assessed the suitability of the Finnish present and future climate for both PWD and PWN establishment inside susceptible healthy trees. The former was done using the mean summer temperature concept and the latter by relating annual growing degree days to the likelihoods of PWN extinction and establishment inside healthy trees. The likelihoods were derived from the previously published modelling of PWN population dynamics for 139 locations in Germany. Both assessments were conducted using 10 × 10 km resolution climate data from 2000–2019 and Finland-specific climate change projections for 2030–2080. The results indicate that the present Finnish climate is too cool for both PWD and PWN establishment inside healthy trees. Furthermore, even global warming does not appear to turn the Finnish climate suitable for PWD or PWN establishment inside healthy trees by 2080, except under the worst-case representative concentration pathway scenario (RCP8.5). Consequently, giving top priority to PWN when allocating resources for biosecurity activities in Finland might deserve reconsideration. Full article
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29 pages, 3263 KiB  
Article
Preference and Performance of the Pine-Tree Lappet Dendrolimus pini on Various Pine Species
by Adrian Łukowski, Marian J. Giertych, Dawid Adamczyk, Ewa Mąderek and Piotr Karolewski
Forests 2021, 12(9), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12091261 - 16 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1727
Abstract
Global commercial and recreational transport may lead to the unintentional invasion of insect species, which in turn may pose a threat to native organisms. In this study, we aimed to assess whether the economically important pest of Pinus sylvestris L., moth Dendrolimus pini [...] Read more.
Global commercial and recreational transport may lead to the unintentional invasion of insect species, which in turn may pose a threat to native organisms. In this study, we aimed to assess whether the economically important pest of Pinus sylvestris L., moth Dendrolimus pini L. (DP), is able to feed on nine other pine species, and how this will affect its survival, performance, growth, and development. We carried out food choice tests and a no-choice laboratory feeding experiment. We found that this insect mostly preferred its prime host, but also Pinus cembra L., Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold, and Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex C.Lawson. The performance test revealed a host-specific response of DP to the host plant. This response was manifested in a large variation in body mass as well as in a decrease or increase in life-history traits, such as fecundity, and wing morphology parameters. However, the larvae’s choice of particular hosts corresponded to the results of the performance test. Larvae more willingly selected food allowing better results in their performance. Larvae achieved better values of growth and development when fed on European and North American pine species or on species with two- and three-needle fascicles. In addition, attractants and repellents in needles of different pine species were chemically analyzed. Variations in the secondary metabolite composition as well as the specific leaf area of different pine species effectively explained the results found in the insects, but the content of sugars and nitrogen remains to be elucidated. We speculate that DP poses a serious threat to large areas of pine forests, if transferred, as it can survive and develop on many economically important tree species in North America and Europe. Full article
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17 pages, 2773 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Shifts in Cold Tolerance and the Composition of the Gut Microbiome of Dendroctonus valens LeConte Occur Concurrently
by Zehai Hou, Yaxin Dong, Fengming Shi, Yabei Xu, Sixun Ge, Jing Tao, Lili Ren and Shixiang Zong
Forests 2021, 12(7), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12070888 - 07 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2166
Abstract
Dendroctonus valens LeConte, an invasive bark beetle, has caused severe damage in pine forests and has the potential to disperse into new geographic ranges in China. Although the gut microbiota of D. valens and its fundamental role in host fitness have been investigated [...] Read more.
Dendroctonus valens LeConte, an invasive bark beetle, has caused severe damage in pine forests and has the potential to disperse into new geographic ranges in China. Although the gut microbiota of D. valens and its fundamental role in host fitness have been investigated widely, little is known about the relationship between the seasonal shifts of both cold tolerance and the gut microbiome of D. valens during overwintering, which occurs at the larval stage. In this study, to examine seasonal variations in the composition of the microbiome, we collected D. valens larvae in September (autumn), January (winter), and May (spring), and then analyzed the bacterial and fungal communities of the gut via sequencing of partial 16S rRNA and ITS genes. In addition, changes in the supercooling capacity and antioxidant enzyme activities of D. valens larvae collected in the different seasons were evaluated. Overwintering resulted in changes to microbial communities. In particular, the abundances of Enterobacter, Serratia, Erwinia, and Klebsiella decreased during overwintering. Concurrent with these changes, the cold tolerance of D. valens larvae was enhanced during overwintering, and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and peroxidase were reduced. We hypothesize that seasonal shifts in the gut microbiome may be connected to changes in cold tolerance and antioxidant enzyme activity in D. valens. It will be worthwhile to confirm whether seasonal changes in the microbiome contribute to the success of host overwintering. Full article
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