Zdravstveno stanje drveća u dendroparku Šumarskog fakulteta – Skoplje sa posebnim osvrtom na gljivične bolesti i štetne kukce

The Dendropark at the Faculty of Forestry in Skopje, North Macedonia, was established as an ‘outdoor museum’ with a collection of forest trees and shrub vegetation. The collection was planted in 1950 on the area of 4.05 ha, and includes 336 taxa from native Macedonian and Balkan endemic dendroflora and introduced species from around the world. The Dendropark, like the other botanical gardens all over the world, offers a unique resource that facilitate earlier detection of the potential invasive threats to forest tree species. The inventoried population includes 444 trees belonging to 43 families. The three most represented families are Pinaceae with 21 species (19.4% of the inventoried plants), Cupressaceae with 16 species (15.8%) and Rosaceae with 18 species (7.4%). The 2014 survey indicated that 33.8% of the total number of trees were rated with good health status, 1.8% as very good, 31.1% rated as fair, while 24.5% were poor. Approximately 4.1% were rated to be in a critical state (in a state of decline), and 4.7% of trees were dead. The assessment of health status of plants in the Dendropark could be used as a valuable asset to planners and decision makers and provides information about the quality, quantity and location of natural resources in urban areas. Identifying changes in plant species composition and presence of invasive pests and diseases helps maintaining healthy urban forests.Dendropark Šumarskog fakulteta u Skoplju, Makedonija, osnovan je kao “muzej na otvorenom” sa zbirkom šumskog drveća i grmlja. Zbirka je zasađena 1950. godine na površini od 4,05 ha i obuhvaća 336 taksona iz autohtone makedonske i balkanske endemske dendroflore, zajedno sa novim vrstama iz različitih područja svijeta. Aktualni popis bio je napravljen kao osnovno sredstvo za monitoring. Dendropark, poput ostalih botaničkih vrtova širom svijeta izvanredan je resurs koji uveliko olakšava otkrivanje potencijalnih invazivnih prijetnji za zastupljene vrste šumskoga drveća. Popisana populacija obuhvatila je 444 stabala, koja pripadaju 43 porodicama. Tri najzastupljenije porodice bile su: Pinaceae s 21 vrstom (19,4 % popisanih biljaka), Cupressaceae sa 16 vrsta (15,8 %) i Rosaceae sa 18 vrsta (7,4 %). Provedeno istraživanje iz 2014. godine procijenilo je tadašnje zdravstveno stanje prema kojemu 33,8% ukupnog drveća ocijenjeno kao dobro, 1,8 % kao relativno dobro, 31,1 % kao prosječno, dok ih je 24,5 % ocijenjeno kao loše. Približno 4,1 % drveća je bilo ocijenjeno kritično, tj. u stanju propadanja, dok je 4,7 % stabala bilo mrtvo. Procjena zdravstvenog stanja drvenastih vrsta u Dendroparku mogla bi biti dragocjeno sredstvo i od velike koristi i osobama koje planiraju i donose odluke. Također, ona može pružiti i potrebne informacije o kvaliteti, količini i položaju prirodnih resursa u urbanim područjima. Utvrđivanje promjena u sastavu vrsta i prisutnosti štetnika i patogena pruža dodatan uvid, koji olakšava očuvanje zdravih urbanih šuma

PRVI NALAZ ENTOMOPHAGA MAIMAIGA (ENTOMOPHTHORALES: ENTOMOPHTHORACEAE) U POPULACIJAMA LYMANTRIA DISPAR U GRČKOJ I REPUBLICI MAKEDONIJI

The entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga Humber, Shimazu & Soper (Entomophtorales: Entomophtoraceae) was found for first time in populations of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), in Greece and the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) after its introduction in Bulgaria in 1999. Monitoring studies were conducted in 2012 in oak stands in three sites in the Xanthi region in Greece, and in three sites in FYROM in the Prilep region. Gypsy moth larvae, predominately in fourth to sixth instar, were collected in May and June. During laboratory rearing, mortality of gypsy moth larvae collected in two sites in Greece ranged from 36.4–89.3%. Larval mortality of L. dispar in the three sites in FYROM ranged from 16.7–87.8%. Dead larvae were analysed under light microscopy for presence of E. maimaiga and other entomopathogens. E. maimaiga was recorded from one site in Greece (Kidaris vill.), and in all study sites in FYROM (Toplica, Belovodica and Krushevo vill.). Azygospores of E. maimaiga were found in the bodies of 78.6% of gypsy moth larvae from Kidaris, and in 8.3–16.3% of the larvae from sites in FYROM. Recent records of E. maimaiga in Serbia and the European part of Turkey, and present findings in Greece and FYROM, indicate that the fungus most probably has invaded gypsy moth populations in other parts of Balkan Peninsula.Entomopatogena gljiva Entomophaga maimaiga Humber, Shimazu & Soper (Entomophtorales: Entomophtoraceae) prvi je puta utvrđena u populacijama gubara, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) u Grčkoj i Republici Makedoniji nakon introdukcije ovog patogena u Bugarsku 1999. godine. Tijekom 2012. godine obavljen je pregled hrastovih sastojina na tri lokacije u području Xanthi u Grčkoj i na tri lokacije u okolici Prilepa u Makedoniji. Gusjenice gubara sakupljane su većinom u četvrtom do šestom larvalnom stadiju u razdoblju svibanj–lipanj. Tijekom laboratorijskog uzgoja smrtnost gusjenica sakupljenih u Grčkoj iznosila je od 36,4 do 89,3 %. Smrtnost gusjenica s lokaliteta u Makedoniji bila je između 16,7 i 87,8 %. Uginule gusjenice analizirane su pomoću svjetlosnog mikroskopa na prisutnost E. maimaiga i ostalih patogena. Patogena gljiva E. maimaiga utvrđena je na uzorku s jednog lokaliteta u Grčkoj (Kidaris) i na uzorcima svih lokaliteta u Makedoniji (Toplica, Belovodica i Kruševo). Azigospore E. maimaiga utvrđene su u 78,6 % uginulih gusjenica s lokaliteta Kidaris i između 8,3 i 16,3 % uginulih gusjenica s tri lokaliteta u Makedoniji. Nedavni nalazi E. maimaiga u Srbiji i europskom dijelu Turske te najnoviji nalazi u Grčkoj i Republici Makedoniji ukazuju na vjerojatnost da je ovaj patogen već inficirao populacije gubara u ostalim dijelovima balkanskog poluotoka

Assessing awareness of tree pests and pathogens amongst tree professionals : a pan-European perspective

Tree professionals play an important role in protecting forests against invasive pests. Awareness of pests and knowledge of how they spread is likely to be a key component of effective detection, eradication and management measures, but very little is known about awareness levels of this stakeholder group. To address this important evidence gap, a questionnaire survey of tree professionals was carried out across nine European countries. Results from 392 tree professionals show relatively low levels of self-reported awareness for a number of pests. Levels of awareness rise with increasing age as well as frequency of visits to forests. Awareness also appeared higher where pests were present in the respondent‘s country. There was a high level of support for purchasing plant material from accredited sources. Barriers to changing behaviours include financial and resource pressures but also the perceived behaviour of others. Tree professionals utilise multiple sources to gain information about tree pests but internet was the most popular. A considerable amount of pest information is already available online and this study recommends that different approaches to raising awareness be trialled including utilising experienced tree professionals as knowledge brokers and exploring new ways of using digital technologies as a learning tool.This research was carried out as part of COST Action FP1002—Pathway Evaluation and Pest Risk Management in Transport (PERMIT).http://www.elsevier.com/locate/forpol2017-09-30hb2017Zoology and Entomolog

Pine Pitch Canker and Insects: Regional Risks, Environmental Regulation, and Practical Management Options

Producción CientíficaPine pitch canker (PPC), caused by the pathogenic fungus Fusarium circinatum (Nirenberg and O’ Donnell), is a serious threat to pine forests globally. The recent introduction of the pathogen to Southern Europe and its spread in Mediterranean region is alarming considering the immense ecological and economic importance of pines in the region. Pines in forests and nurseries can be infected, resulting in severe growth losses and mortality. The pathogen is known to spread in plants for planting and in seeds, and results from recent studies have indicated that F. circinatum may also spread through phoretic associations with certain insects. With this review, we aim to expand the current understanding of the risk of insect-mediated spread of PPC in different parts of Europe. Through the joint action of a multinational researcher team, we collate the existing information about the insect species spectrum in different biogeographic conditions and scrutinize the potential of these insects to transmit F. circinatum spores in forests and nurseries. We also discuss the impact of environmental factors and forest management in this context. We present evidence for the existence of a high diversity of insects with potential to weaken pines and disseminate PPC in Europe, including several common beetle species. In many parts of Europe, temperatures are projected to rise, which may promote the activity of several insect species, supporting multivoltinism and thus, further amplifying the risk of insect-mediated dissemination of PPC. Integrated pest management (IPM) solutions that comply with forest management practices need to be developed to reduce this risk. We recommend careful monitoring of insect populations as the basis for successful IPM. Improved understanding of environmental control of the interaction between insects, the pathogen, and host trees is needed in order to support development of bio-rational strategies to safeguard European pine trees and forests against F. circinatum in future.European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action FP1406 PINESTRENGTH)Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project AGL2015-69370-R)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (contract IF/00471/2013/CP1203/CT0001)Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant 17-04-01486)Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University (project 2019-0420

Global Geographic Distribution and Host Range of Fusarium circinatum, the Causal Agent of Pine Pitch Canker

Funding: This study was financially supported by COST Action FP1406 (PINESTRENGTH), the Estonian Science Foundation grant PSG136, the Forestry Commission, United Kingdom, the Phytophthora Research Centre Reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000453, a project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. ANSES is supported by a grant managed by the French National Research Agency (ANR) as part of the “Investissements d’Avenir” programme (ANR-11-LABX-0002-01, Laboratory of ExcellenceARBRE). SW was partly supported by BBSRC Grant reference BB/L012251/1 “Promoting resilience of UK tree species to novel pests & pathogens: ecological & evolutionary solutions (PROTREE)” jointly funded by BBSRC, Defra, ESRC, the Forestry Commission, NERC and the Scottish Government, under the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative. Annual surveys in Switzerland were financially supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN. Acknowledgments: Andrea Kunova and Cristina Pizzatti are acknowledged for the assistance in the sampling. Thanks are due to Dina Ribeiro and Helena Marques from ICNF-Portuguese Forest Authority for providing location coordinates. We thank three anonymous reviwers for valuable corrections and suggestions.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Dynamics of populations of pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in the Republic of North Macedonia during the period 2007-2017

This study presents results for the dynamic of the populations of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) during the period 2007-2017 and the impact of reducing factors in the Repub-lic of North Macedonia. The population density was determined by the number of larval nests both per tree and per hectare that varied during the research period. The number of individuals went up between 2007 and 2010, while during the following years it rapidly decreased. Since 2011, an overall prograding trend has been recorded in the several subsequent years. This could be explained by the huge number of individuals from the previous years that were in a diapause. The abundance of pest populations continued to grow in 2016 as no measures were taken. During the winter of 2016/2017, the impact of the extremely low temperatures on pest mortality was monitored in 2016-2017 generation. The density of the populations came to latency due to the very large number of dead larvae of second and third larval stages. We recorded a 100% mortality of larvae in plantations of Pinus nigra in the regions near Prilep, Sveti Nikole, Shtip, Kochani and Negotino Villages.

Assessing awareness of tree pests and pathogens amongst tree professionals: A pan-European perspective

This research was carried out as part of COST Action FP1002—Pathway Evaluation and Pest Risk Management in Transport (PERMIT).Tree professionals play an important role in protecting forests against invasive pests. Awareness of pests and knowledge of how they spread is likely to be a key component of effective detection, eradication and management measures, but very little is known about awareness levels of this stakeholder group. To address this important evidence gap, a questionnaire survey of tree professionals was carried out across nine European countries. Results from 392 tree professionals show relatively low levels of self-reported awareness for a number of pests. Levels of awareness rise with increasing age as well as frequency of visits to forests. Awareness also appeared higher where pests were present in the respondent‘s country. There was a high level of support for purchasing plant material from accredited sources. Barriers to changing behaviours include financial and resource pressures but also the perceived behaviour of others. Tree professionals utilise multiple sources to gain information about tree pests but internet was the most popular. A considerable amount of pest information is already available online and this study recommends that different approaches to raising awareness be trialled including utilising experienced tree professionals as knowledge brokers and exploring new ways of using digital technologies as a learning tool.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/forpol2017-09-30hb2017Zoology and Entomolog

Potential interactions between invasive Fusarium circinatum and other pine pathogens in Europe

Pines are major components of native forests and plantations in Europe, where they have both economic significance and an important ecological role. Diseases of pines are mainly caused by fungal and oomycete pathogens, and can significantly reduce the survival, vigor, and yield of both individual trees and entire stands or plantations. Pine pitch canker (PPC), caused by Fusarium circinatum (Nirenberg and O'Donnell), is among the most devastating pine diseases in the world, and is an example of an emergent invasive disease in Europe. The effects of microbial interactions on plant health, as well as the possible roles plant microbiomes may have in disease expression, have been the focus of several recent studies. Here, we describe the possible effects of co-infection with pathogenic fungi and oomycetes with F. circinatum on the health of pine seedlings and mature plants, in an attempt to expand our understanding of the role that biotic interactions may play in the future of PPC disease in European nurseries and forests. The available information on pine pathogens that are able to co-occur with F. circinatum in Europe is here reviewed and interpreted to theoretically predict the effects of such co-occurrences on pine survival, growth, and yield. Beside the awareness that F. circinatum may co-occurr on pines with other pathogens, an additional outcome from this review is an updating of the literature, including the so-called grey literature, to document the geographical distribution of the relevant pathogens and to facilitate differential diagnoses, particularly in nurseries, where some of them may cause symptoms similar to those induced by F. circinatum. An early and accurate diagnosis of F. circinatum, a pathogen that has been recently introduced and that is currently regulated in Europe, is essential to prevent its introduction and spread in plantings and forests