Austral Ecology (2006) 31, 559-566

Treena I. Burgess, Monique L. Sakalidis and Giles E. St.J. Hardy (2006)
Gene flow of the canker pathogen Botryosphaeria australis between Eucalyptus globulus plantations and native eucalypt forests in Western Australia
Austral Ecology 31 (5), 559-566
Abstract: The eucalypt plantation industry in Western Australia provides a unique opportunity to study the movement of pathogens between closely related host taxa. Eucalyptus globulus, a native to Tasmania and south-eastern Australia, is the predominant species in Western Australian plantations, often being planted adjacent to native forest containing Eucalyptus marginata and Eucalyptus diversicolor. Since the commencement of the plantation industry 20 years ago, several fungal species, previously known only to eastern Australia or overseas, have been reported on E. globulus in Western Australia. Botryosphaeria australis is a newly described species, recently found causing cankers on Acacia spp. in eastern Australia. However, during a routine survey, B. australis was found to be the predominant species associated with E. globulus plantations and native Eucalyptus spp. in Western Australia. In this study, six short simple repeat markers were used to evaluate genetic diversity and gene flow between collections of B. australis from native eucalypt forest and E. globulus plantations at two locations in south-western Australia. In both cases, there was no restriction to gene flow between the plantations and the adjacent native forest. Botryosphaeria australis has now been isolated from a wide range of hosts across south-western Australia and was not isolated from E. globulus in Tasmania or South Australia. This extensive distribution and host range suggests B. australis is native to Western Australia. This study demonstrates the ability of a pathogen to move between plantation and forests.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Treena Burgess, Monique L. Sakalidis

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Neofusicoccum australe	Eucalypt (Eucalyptus)	Australia (Western)