European Journal of Forest Pathology (1996) 26, 285-296

R. Vasiliauskas, J. Stenlid and M. Johansson (1996)
Fungi in bark peeling wounds of Picea abies in central Sweden
European Journal of Forest Pathology 26 (6), 285-296
Abstract: A total of 210 Norway spruce trees with stem wounds resulting from bark peeling by moose (Alces alces) were examined in three 45-50-year-old stands that contained 20-30% of damaged trees. Injured stems were between 8 and 40 cm diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) and showed 1 to 23-year-old wounds. Wounds varied in size from 2 to 4815 cm². The size of injury correlated negatively with the age of the injury (r=-0.24; p=0.004), and positive correlation was established between the age of the injury and d.b.h. of the wounded tree (r=0.50; p=0.0001). Each wound was sampled once using an increment borer and fungi were isolated. Among basidiomycetes, Stereum sanguinolentum was the most common (isolated from 26.7% of the damaged stems). Other common species were Cylindrobasidium evolvens (23.8%), Amylostereum areolatum (5.2%), A. chailletii (0.5%), Heterobasidion annosum (5.2%), Peni-ophorapithya (1.4%), Sistotrema brinkmannii (1.0%). The ascomycete Nectria fuckeliana was the most common among all fungi (present in 35.7% of bark peeling wounds). The frequency of S. sanguinolentum infection correlated positively with the age of the injury (r=0.27; p=0.001) and the opposite relationship was revealed for C. evolvens (r=−0.30; p=0.0001). Furthermore, C. evolvens infection correlated positively with the wound size (r=0.30; p=0.0001) and negatively with the tree d.b.h. (r=−0.20; p=0.004). A positive correlation was found between tree d. b. h. and the occurrence in stems of H. annosum (r=0.23; p=0.001 and N. fuckeliana (r=0.23; p=0.0006). The spruce bark beetle Dendroctonus micans attacked 14.8% of wounded trees. Presence in stems of N. fuckeliana was associated significantly with the D. micans attack (r=0.190; p =0.006; Chi² test: p=0.01). Except for a negative correlation between infections of S. sanguinolentum and H. annosum (r=-0.140; p=0.04), no significant relationship between fungal species was found.
(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): Jan Stenlid

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Dendroctonus micans	Spruce (Picea)	Sweden
	Heterobasidion annosum	Spruce (Picea)	Sweden
	Stereum sanguinolentum	Spruce (Picea)	Sweden
	Cylindrobasidium evolvens	Spruce (Picea)	Sweden
	Amylostereum areolatum	Spruce (Picea)	Sweden