Laminated root rot

Last updated

Laminated root rot
Phellinus weirii.jpg
Fruiting bodies of Phellinus weirii that cause Laminated root rot
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Hymenochaetales
Family: Hymenochaetaceae
Genus: Phellinus
Species:
P. weirii
Binomial name
Phellinus weirii

Laminated root rot also known as yellow ring rot is caused by the fungal pathogen Phellinus weirii . Laminated root rot is one of the most damaging root disease amongst conifers in northwestern America and true firs, Douglas fir, Mountain hemlock, and Western hemlock are highly susceptible to infection with P. weirii. A few species of plants such as Western white pine and Lodgepole pine are tolerant to the pathogen while Ponderosa pine is resistant to it. Only hardwoods are known to be immune to the pathogen. [1]

Contents

Symptoms and signs

The disease can infect trees as young as 6 years-old, and infects trees throughout their lifespan. [2] Diagnostic symptoms include crown yellowing and thinning, a distress crop of cones, red brown stained outer heartwood, and laminate decay (decay that separates along annual rings). The disease tends to occur in patches due to a primarily short range spread mechanism. [3] Infected or decayed roots break close to the root collar forming “root balls.” [1] Laminated root rot is frequently detected during ground survey when canopy openings and standing dead and fallen trees are observed. [4] Signs of laminated root rot include the setal hyphae (tiny hairlike hyphae) between sheets of decomposing wood and also buff-colored mycelium on the outside of the roots. [1]

Discovery

The fungus Phellinus weirii was first discovered in 1914, on Western red cedar in Idaho. The first reported instance in Douglas-fir was in 1940, in Cowichan Lake, British Columbia. [5]

Disease cycle and transmission

There are two types of the Phellinus; one that causes laminated root rot in Douglas fir, Grand fir, and Hemlocks and the other that causes butt rot in Western red cedar. The mycelium of this fungus doesn’t grow in the soil and also its spores are not spread by wind like most fungal pathogens. [1] Infection occurs when roots of healthy trees grow in contact with infected roots. After initial contact with a living root, the mycelium grows on the bark, extending only a few millimeters into the surrounding soil. The mycelium penetrates the host through injured bark and advances proximally and distally along newly infected roots. It eventually penetrates through the host’s cambium and grows inside the wood causing decay and death of living cells in the heartwood and sapwood. During this process of entering into the cambium, the pathogen kills the phloem and initiates the decay of the xylem. The pathogen utilizes both cellulose and lignin, weakening the plant and eventually this leads to its death [4] Phellinus Weirii over-winters within infected stumps and can remain viable for up to 50 years [6] It is also known to infect bark, but this infection process is not well understood. [5] Older trees are more resilient to infection, although trees of all ages may be infected. [5]

Management

In all cases of the disease, thorough study of the distribution and intensity should be determined to help choose a management practice that’s cost effective. For example, if the disease is widespread in a pre-commercial stand, destroying the plantation may be the most effective measure. The area can then be replanted with immune or low-susceptible species. [4] Aerial surveying is a viable tool available for use in areas where there are severely damaged systems. [7] Other management tools include:

Economic importance

The trees die from failure to take up water and nutrients because of the main roots are decayed. The death is also accelerated by wind that throws the trees down. It is estimated that Laminated root rot reduces timber production by about 4.4 million cubic meters annually. [4] Wood losses in British Columbia are estimated to be 1.4 million cubic meters. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Chamaecyparis lawsoniana</i> Species of conifer

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, known as Port Orford cedar or Lawson cypress, is a species of conifer in the genus Chamaecyparis, family Cupressaceae. It is native to Oregon and northwestern California, and grows from sea level up to 4,900 feet (1,500 m) in the valleys of the Klamath Mountains, often along streams.

<i>Thuja plicata</i> Species of conifer

Thuja plicata is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae, native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Its common name is western redcedar in the U.S. or western red cedar in the UK, and it is also called pacific red cedar, giant arborvitae, western arborvitae, just cedar, giant cedar, or shinglewood. It is not a true cedar of the genus Cedrus. T. plicata is the largest species in the genus Thuja, growing up to 70 metres (230 ft) tall and 7 m (23 ft) in diameter. It mostly grows in areas that experience a mild climate with plentiful rainfall, although it is sometimes present in drier areas on sites where water is available year-round, such as wet valley bottoms and mountain streamsides. The species is shade-tolerant and able to establish in forest understories and is thus considered a climax species. It is a very long-lived tree, with some specimens reaching ages of well over 1,000 years.

<i>Armillaria mellea</i> Species of fungus

Armillaria mellea, commonly known as honey fungus, is an edible basidiomycete fungus in the genus Armillaria. It is a plant pathogen and part of a cryptic species complex of closely related and morphologically similar species. It causes Armillaria root rot in many plant species and produces mushrooms around the base of trees it has infected. The symptoms of infection appear in the crowns of infected trees as discoloured foliage, reduced growth, dieback of the branches and death. The mushrooms are edible but some people may be intolerant to them. This species is capable of producing light via bioluminescence in its mycelium.

<i>Phytophthora cinnamomi</i> Species of single-celled organism

Phytophthora cinnamomi, also known as cinnamon fungus, is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants variously called "dieback", "root rot", or, "ink disease".

<i>Armillaria luteobubalina</i> Species of fungus in the family Physalacriaceae.

Armillaria luteobubalina, commonly known as the Australian honey fungus, is a species of mushroom in the family Physalacriaceae. Widely distributed in southern Australia, the fungus is responsible for a disease known as Armillaria root rot, a primary cause of Eucalyptus tree death and forest dieback. It is the most pathogenic and widespread of the six Armillaria species found in Australia. The fungus has also been collected in Argentina and Chile. Fruit bodies have cream- to tan-coloured caps that grow up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter and stems that measure up to 20 cm (8 in) long by 1.5 cm (1 in) thick. The fruit bodies, which appear at the base of infected trees and other woody plants in autumn (March–April), are edible, but require cooking to remove the bitter taste. The fungus is dispersed through spores produced on gills on the underside of the caps, and also by growing vegetatively through the root systems of host trees. The ability of the fungus to spread vegetatively is facilitated by an aerating system that allows it to efficiently diffuse oxygen through rhizomorphs—rootlike structures made of dense masses of hyphae.

<i>Heterobasidion annosum</i> Species of fungus

Heterobasidion annosum is a basidiomycete fungus in the family Bondarzewiaceae. It is considered to be the most economically important forest pathogen in the Northern Hemisphere. Heterobasidion annosum is widespread in forests in the United States and is responsible for the loss of one billion U.S. dollars annually. This fungus has been known by many different names. First described by Fries in 1821, it was known by the name Polyporus annosum. Later, it was found to be linked to conifer disease by Robert Hartig in 1874, and was renamed Fomes annosus by H. Karsten. Its current name of Heterobasidion annosum was given by Brefeld in 1888. Heterobasidion annosum causes one of the most destructive diseases of conifers. The disease caused by the fungus is named annosus root rot.

<i>Rigidoporus microporus</i> Species of fungus

Rigidoporus microporus is a plant pathogen, known to cause white root rot disease on various tropical crops, such as cacao, cassava, tea, with economical importance on the para rubber tree.

<i>Stereum sanguinolentum</i> Species of fungus

Stereum sanguinolentum is a species of fungus in the Stereaceae family. A plant pathogen, it causes red heart rot, a red discoloration on conifers, particularly spruces or Douglas-firs. Fruit bodies are produced on dead wood, or sometimes on dead branches of living trees. They are a thin leathery crust of the wood surface. Fresh fruit bodies will bleed a red-colored juice if injured, reflected in the common names bleeding Stereum or the bleeding conifer parchment. It can be the host of the parasitic jelly fungus Tremella encephala.

<i>Pyrrhoderma noxium</i> Species of fungus that is associated with brown root rot.

Pyrrhoderma noxium is a species of plant pathogen. It attacks a wide range of tropical plants, and is the cause of brown root rot disease. It has been described as "an aggressive and destructive pathogen". The pathogen invades roots with contact between roots of a potential host with the substrate on which the fungus is growing.

<i>Porodaedalea pini</i> Species of fungus

Porodaedalea pini, commonly known as the pine conk, is a species of fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae. It is a plant pathogen that causes tree disease commonly known as "red ring rot" or "white speck". This disease, extremely common in the conifers of North America, decays tree trunks, rendering them useless for lumber. It is a rot of the heartwood. Signs of the fungus include shelf-shaped conks protruding from the trunks of trees. Spores produced on these conks are blown by the wind and infect other trees. Formal management of this disease is limited, and the disease is controlled primarily by cultural practices. Red ring rot is an important forest disturbance agent and plays a key role in habitat formation for several forest animals.

<i>Coniferiporia weirii</i> Species of fungus

Coniferiporia weirii is a species of fungus. It is a plant pathogen that causes laminated root rot in certain conifers, typically Douglas-fir and western redcedar. It is widespread in the Douglas-fir growing regions of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living stump</span> Living root remains of a cut or otherwise dead tree

A living stump is created when a live tree is cut, burned, eaten, or infected, causing its cambium to die above the root system.

<i>Armillaria novae-zelandiae</i> Species of fungus

Armillaria novae-zelandiae is a species of mushroom-forming fungus in the family Physalacriaceae. This plant pathogen species is one of three Armillaria species that have been identified in New Zealand.

<i>Armillaria</i> root rot Fungal tree disease

Armillaria root rot is a fungal root rot caused by several different members of the genus Armillaria. The symptoms are variable depending on the host infected, ranging from stunted leaves to chlorotic needles and dieback of twigs and branches. However, all infected hosts display symptoms characteristic of being infected by a white rotting fungus. The most effective ways of management focus on limiting the spread of the fungus, planting resistant species, and removing infected material. This disease poses a threat to the lumber industry as well as affecting recreational areas.

<i>Armillaria ostoyae</i> Species of fungus

Armillaria ostoyae is a species of fungus (mushroom), pathogenic to trees, in the family Physalacriaceae. In the western United States, it is the most common variant of the group of species under the name Armillaria mellea. A. ostoyae is common on both hardwood and conifer wood in forests west of the Cascade Range in Oregon, United States. It has decurrent gills and the stipe has a ring. The mycelium invades the sapwood and is able to disseminate over great distances under the bark or between trees in the form of black rhizomorphs ("shoestrings"). In most areas of North America, Armillaria ostoyae can be separated from other species by its physical features: cream-brown colors, prominent cap scales, and a well-developed stem ring distinguish it from other Armillaria. Like several other Armillaria, the mycelium of Armillaria ostoyae can display bioluminescence, resulting in foxfire.

<i>Heterobasidion irregulare</i> Species of fungus

Heterobasidion irregulare is a tree root rotting pathogenic fungus that belongs to the genus Heterobasidion, which includes important pathogens of conifers and other woody plants. It has a wide host and geographic range throughout North America and causes considerable economic damage in pine plantations in the United States. This fungus is also a serious worry in eastern Canada. Heterobasidion irregulare has been introduced to Italy (Lazio)(modifica) where it has been responsible for extensive tree mortality of stone pine. Due to the ecology, disease type, host range/preference, interfertility group, and genetic information, H. irregulare was designated a new species and distinguished from Heterobasidion occidentale.

Stromatinia cepivora is a fungus in the division Ascomycota. It is the teleomorph of Sclerotium cepivorum, the cause of white rot in onions, garlic, and leeks. The infective sclerotia remain viable in the soil for many years and are stimulated to germinate by the presence of a susceptible crop.

Aspen trunk rot is a fungal disease that causes stem decay heart rot of living aspen trees. The pathogen that causes this disease is the fungus Phellinus tremulae. Most of the symptoms of this disease are internal, with the only external signs of a diseased aspen being fruiting bodies called conks. A single conk found on an aspen can indicate advanced decay of up to 82% of the tree volume. Internal decayed wood of freshly cut aspens is spongy, yellow/white colored, surrounded by black zones of discoloration, and contains a distinct wintergreen smell. The fungus is spread via airborne spores released from the fruiting body which can infect through dead branches, branch stubs, or wounds in the tree. Although no direct management control is known, harvesting aspen stands that have been damaged or harvesting stands before decay becomes advanced minimizes tree loss. Aspen wood is white, malleable but strong, and heat-tolerant and therefore has many commercial uses including matches, packing paper, lumber, plywood, pulp, and animal beds. Aspen trees diseased with aspen trunk rot decrease the economic value of the lumber.

<i>Heterobasidion occidentale</i> Species of fungus

Heterobasidion occidentale is a tree root-rotting pathogenic fungus in the family Bondarzewiaceae. It is endemic in western North America west of the Rocky Mountains from Alaska to southern Mexico. While a natural agent of forest turnover, H. occidentale has become of increased concern due to forest management processes such as pre-commercial thinning, altered site density and species composition, and carbon sequestration. H. occidentale forms part of the genus that includes other species forming the important forest pest Heterobasidion annosumsensu lato that is spread across the Northern Hemisphere. H. occidentale is part of the S-type intersterility group differing from the other North American species, Heterobasidion irregulare.

Black rot on orchids is caused by Pythium and Phytophthora species. Black rot targets a variety of orchids but Cattleya orchids are especially susceptible. Pythium ultimum and Phytophthora cactorum are known to cause black rot in orchids.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hadfield, J. S.; Johnson, D. W. (1977). "Laminated Root Rot". USDA Forest Service -Pacific Northwest Region.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. Data sheets on quarantine pests: Phellinus weirii. In EPPO quarantine pest Retrieved from "Inonwe DS.pdf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-14. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  3. Buckland, D. C.; Molnar, A. C.; Wallis, G. W. (1954). "Yellow laminated root rot of Douglas fir". Canadian Journal of Botany . 32: 69–81. doi:10.1139/b54-009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thies, Walter G.; Sturrock, Rona N. 1995. Laminated root rot in western North America. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-349. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 32 p. In cooperation with: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre
  5. 1 2 3 4 Natural Resources Canada. "Laminated root rot". Archived from the original on September 2, 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  6. Aoshima, K. (1953). "Wood-rotting Poria from Japan. II". Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station, Meguro. 59.
  7. Leckie, D. G.; Jay, C.; Gougeon, F. A.; Sturrock, R. N.; Paradine, D. (2004). "Detection and assessment of trees with Phellinus weirii (laminated root rot) using high resolution multi-spectral imagery". International Journal of Remote Sensing . 25 (4): 793–818. Bibcode:2004IJRS...25..793L. doi:10.1080/0143116031000139926. S2CID   129314263.
  8. Peet, F. G.; Hunt, R. S. (2005). "A New Simulator for the Spread of Forest Root Diseases by Individual Root Contacts". Forest Science . 51 (5): 425–437. doi:10.1093/forestscience/51.5.425.
  9. 1 2 3 Dekker-Robertson, D., Griessmann, P., Baumgartner, D., & Hanley, D. (n.d.). Laminated root rot, yellow ring rot. In R. Edmonds & R. Gara (Eds.), Forest Health Notes: A Series for the Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowner Retrieved from http://ext.nrs.wsu.edu/forestryext/foresthealth/notes/laminatedrootrot.htm Archived 2012-12-15 at archive.today
  10. Thies, W. G.; Westlind, D. J. (2006). "Application of Chloropicrin to Douglas-fir Stumps to Control Laminated Root Rot Does Not Affect Infection or Growth of Regeneration 16 Growing Seasons After Treatment". Forest Ecology and Management . 235 (1–3): 212–218. Bibcode:2006ForEM.235..212T. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2006.08.330.