European oak decline phenomenon in relation to climatic changes

Autorzy

• Nenad Keča University of Belgrade-Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forestry, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia, e-mail: nenad.keca@sfb.bg.ac.rs
• Ioannis Koufakis Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Forest Research Institute,
  Sękocin Stary, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
• Dietershagen Jana Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Forest Research Institute,
  Sękocin Stary, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
• Justyna A. Nowakowska Forest Research Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Sękocin Stary, Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
• Tomasz Oszako Bialystok University of Technology, Faculty of Forestry in Hajnówka, Piłsudskiego 8, 17- 200 Hajnówka, Poland

Abstract

The complex phenomenon of decline in European oak is currently triggered by changing climatic conditions and their consequences like heavy rains, local floods and pest development. Especially, pathogens from Phytophthora genus profit from soil saturation with water. They are alien invasive species, which attack and severely damage fine roots. In drought conditions occurring in the subsequent year, many oaks die as they encounter problem with water uptake. Additionally, insect defoliators followed by oak mildew infections accelerate the level of tree mortality. Secondary insects, butt and root pathogens are usually the final cause of death of many oaks. More research is needed in the direction to determine (i) measurable factors (e.g. chlorophyll florescence) that can indicate that the process of tree decline has already started, (ii) the correlation between the root decay and the crown symptoms (scanners, software), (iii) which combination of stressors stimulate the best development of pathogens that lead to the high plant mortality and (iv) the difference between the mortality caused by the native and the invasive Phytophthora species.

Keywords

• Quercus spp.
• pathogen
• pests
• Armillaria spp.
• climate change
• Phytophthora