Annosus Root Disease by Susan Hagle US Forest Service Heterobasidion Sp
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February 2007 Forest Health Protection and State Forestry Organizations 11.2 Mangement Guide for WEB July 2010 Annosus Root Disease By Susan Hagle US Forest Service Heterobasidion sp. (fir-annosum) Topics Hosts: In northern Rocky Mountain forests, True firs Introduction 1 mortality is common in Douglas-fir, grand fir Douglas-fir and subalpine fir. Butt rot commonly Taxonomy 2 Engelmann develops with infection in spruce, true firs, Incidence of fir-type 2 spruce western redcedar and western hemlock. western Species 3 redcedar In the central Rockies, butt rot is common in susceptibility western true firs and spruce but mortality is rare . hemlock Life History 3 Spore production 5 Ecology: infection 6 Introduction Ecology: stumps 7 Ecology: secondary 8 Annosus root disease is the northern and central Rocky spread most common and damaging Mountains, Douglas-fir, grand fir, fungus disease of conifer forests and subalpine are commonly killed Biological Control 9 in the northern hemisphere. In by the fir-disease type. Other tree Management 10 northern Idaho and western species, particularly spruces, Considerations for 11 Montana, Annosus root disease is western redcedar and western Cedar economically important in true hemlock develop extensive butt rot firs and Douglas-fir. Further south and occasionally die from Other Reading 12 in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and infections of fir-annosus. Field Guide Nevada, it is frequently found Ponderosa pine is the only decaying roots and butts of significant host for pine-annosus in Management Guide Index mature trees, and sometimes this area. killing small trees, but the overall Trees of all ages can die from impact is thought be minor. this disease and volume losses Annosus root disease is from butt rot are substantial in Key Points caused by several species which, some species. Establishment of One of two until recently, have been grouped new infections through root or important species under the names Fomes annosus basal stem wounds appears to be of Heterobasidion in North America or Heterobasidion annosum. They the most common means of spread are differentiated most readily of fir-annosus. Serious disease of based host preference. In the true firs, Douglas- fir and cedar Spore-initiated OVERVIEW OF infections directly FIR-ANNOSUS ROOT DISEASE MANAGEMENT or through wounds 1. Favor resistant species. Especially pines and western larch. on roots 2. Thin early and avoid partial harvests. Precommercially thin. Usually found with Armillaria or 3. Avoid basal stem and root damage. Use care when logging. Phellinus weirii 4. Use caution when thinning western redcedar. Cedar decline may become a problem if cedar residuals are to be managed. Page 2 Back to menu Annosus Root Disease 11.2 Taxonomy: Awaiting a name About Types of The basidiomycete fungus found primarily on Picea abies Annosus Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) (Norway spruce). Heterobasidion Bref. has been known for many abietinum Niemela & Korhonen, Similar but Genetically- years to consist of at least two is the new name suggested for Distinct Types of distinct types, based on host the pathogen of European true Annosus preferences. Molecular and genetic firs (Abies). studies of European isolates have The fir pathogen of this Heterobasidion annosum demonstrated that the former H. complex in western North America in western North America consists of two inter- annosum consists of at least three has yet to be named, and is sterile (non-interbreeding) distinct species. The pine pathogen currently referred to as the “North groups. These two types, retains the name H. annosum. The American S group” (Korhonen and 'fir' and 'pine', have very species formerly referred to as “s” others 1998). For this publication, different host specificities. type in Europe was recently named it will be referred to as ‘fir The hosts for the fir type Heterobasidion parviporum Niemela annosus’. include true firs, Douglas- & Korhonen. This species is fir, Engelmann spruce, western red cedar, and western hemlock. (See Incidence in northern Rocky Mountains Table 1 for details.) Grand fir and Douglas-fir disease-afflicted trees are probably Ponderosa pine is the In northern Idaho and western significantly increased by bark main host for the Montana, fir-annosus is broadly beetle attacks. pine type. distributed and very common in forest types that include grand fir Subalpine fir and Douglas-fir. Armillaria ostoyae Fir-annosus is implicated in a root disease generally co-occurs widespread decline of subalpine fir with fir-annosus, making it in the northern Rocky Mountains. impossible to distinguish the Mature trees are especially individual impacts of the two damaged, with rapid death diseases. following long periods of growth Central Rocky Stands without prior harvests as decline. Western balsam bark Mountains well as harvested stands with beetle (Dryocoetes confusus), fir 1. Annosus root and sufficient host composition, have engraver beetles, and Armillaria butt decay are abundant symptoms and signs of ostoyae also are involved in the common in older annosus root disease. First-entry decline. trees, with little grand fir stumps, in particular, apparent mortality. produce abundant annosus conks, Other tree species 2. Conks are common in decayed stumps indicating pre-existing root Extensive root decay and very and dead wood. infections in a high proportion of gradual death of western redcedar 3. Small trees are trees. Northern Idaho, from St. is common on drier and partially- occasionally killed. Maries to the Salmon River, harvested cedar sites (Hagle, 4. Good data are appears to have an especially heavy unpublished data). Fir-annosus, lacking on the incidence of fir-annosus. Most the Armillaria ostoyae, and Phellinus extent or impact of annosus-related Douglas-fir weirii appear to be about equally the disease. mortality is reported from this responsible for the damage. Butt geographic area as well. rot in western redcedar, Bark beetles, especially fir Engelmann spruce and western engraver in grand fir, frequently hemlock are also very common, attack trees with fir-annosus root particularly in mature trees. disease. Mortality rates of root 11.2 Back to menu Annosus Root Disease Page 3 Table 1. Conifer species susceptibility to fir-annosum root disease in the northern and central Rocky Mountains. Least Susceptible Highly Location Susceptible but tolerant Susceptible Spruces, hemlocks, True firs, Douglas-fir; Northern Rockies Larch, western redcedar, butt rot is common in (Montana and Idaho north ponderosa, western white pine; butt grand fir and mortality is of the Salmon River) lodgepole, and rot and extensive root common in trees of all whitebark pines decay may develop but sizes. mortality rates are low. True firs, Engelmann Unknown Central Rockies spruce; Butt rot and Extent and severity of (southern Idaho, Utah, Pines root decay, some small annosum remains Nevada, western Wyoming) pockets of mortality. unknown in many areas. Life History Basidiospore-initiated infections of the disease from tree to tree via Trees can become infected in root contacts compared to other Genet numerous ways but it appears the important root diseases such as most common occurrence is spore Armillaria root disease and A genet is an -initiated infections in live trees laminated root rot. Most individual derived (Figure 1). Airborne basidiospores individuals, or genets, are confined from compatible land on, or are rain-washed to, a to a single tree. Occasionally spore pairing; a freshly wounded root or lower groups of several trees are infected diploid mycelium. stem. Here the spores germinate by the same genet but this appears and hyphae penetrate the wood to to be uncommon. establish either latent or active Despite minimal tree-to-tree infections. Latent infections may spread, very high rates of infection Spore-initiated remain viable for decades before are typical of true fir, western infections through resuming growth (Garbellotto and hemlock and western redcedar tree roots or basal others 1999) while active stands in the interior West. The stem wounds may infections begin expanding abundance of spores capable of account for most of immediately. The infection taking advantage of wounds and this disease. expands preferentially toward the high frequency of root and stem root collar. The pathogen grows wounding in these species nearly unhindered in root and butt apparently provide ample heartwood of true firs. In true firs opportunity for successful Mortality due to and western redcedar, particularly, establishment of new infections. Armillaria root annosus often produces large disease often cavities in roots and lower stems Abundant spore production in obscures the of trees showing little or no dead trees and stumps effects of fir- outward symptoms of disease. When infected trees die, the annosus when the two occur together fungus may continue to live for in stands. Minimal secondary spread many decades in the moist, There is relatively little spread underground portions of the tree. Page 4 Back to menu Annosus Root Disease 11.2 Figure 1. Life History of fir-annosus Basidiospores are produced by basidia in the pores on the underside of conks Spores carried by wind and rain to infect through dead, broken or wounded roots or through basal stem wounds. Conks develop in decayed stumps and roots. Roots are decayed and the Conidia, the tree is eventually killed. asexual spore Mycelium can spread stage, may be produced on across root contacts to infect decayed wood. other trees. Their