Bulletin of Botanical Gardens, 13: 171–177, 2004 DYNAMICS OF THE COURSE OF TRACHEOMYCOSIS INFECTION OF QUERCUS DALECHAMPII TEN. ON MONITORING AREAS IN SLOVAKIA DURING THE YEARS OF 1984–1999 Jozef POÎGAJ1, Rastislav POÎGAJ2, L’ubica POÎGAJOVÁ2 1Instuitute of Forest Ecology SAV Zvolen, Department of the Biology of Woody Plants SAV, Akademická 2, 949 01 Nitra, e-mail: [email protected] 2Research institute of animal production, 949 01 Nitra, e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Generally speaking a lot of work concerning this problem has been done by the workers of Tracheomycosis infection in oaks covered VÚLH Zvolen (Pfiíhoda 1984, âapek 1985, the whole oak territory of Slovakia in the 80th Kocián 1985, He‰ko 1985), but also workers of years. The illness in the form of infection SAV (Kubíãek, Tomasch 1985, PoÏgaj 1986, spread from east to the west (PoÏgaj 1986) and 1987) and others. They were able to identify 5 whole territory it interfered during three years patogens from the Ascomycetes from the genus roughly. It looked disastrous in places. of Ceratocystus. C kubanica Scerb. – Parf. Monitoring areas were established in the years appeared to be the dominant and the main vec- of 1984–1986 to observe the course of infection tor Scoly intricatus Ratz. Woodland service of individual original oak species. Quercus defended itself against the infection by sanitar- dalechampii Ten. was observed. It was one of ian cutting of stricken and paced individuals, by the most stricken species during the intense sanitation of coppices and by reduction of cut- infection attack. Monitoring areas are in âer- ting during the vegetal period. The illness was vená Voda, Kvetnica, Pozdi‰ovce and Stárhrad, secreted from the beginning for commercial where its substitution is expressively dominant. reasons, because physical and mechanical prop- erties of wood were impaired on stricken indi- Key words: Tracheomycosis infection, viduals. Quercus dalechampii, Slovakia. âapek (1985), Leontovyã (1992), Veldeman (1993), Werner (1993) and others were con- INTRODUCTION cerned with detection of the cause of disposal infection in biological way. Quercus dalechampii Ten. seems to be the Monitoring areas (Kubíãek, Tomasch 1985) most representated oak in Slovakia according to were established at the peak of infection. Their the last observations. Its presence in Slovakia aim was to detect the causes of mass oak morti- has been described by: Magic (1974, 1975), fication, its intense and continuance. We have Michalko (1980), PoÏgaj (1980, 1990) and oth- filled up this network according to the occur- ers (PoÏgaj, Horváthová 1986; Májovsk˘, rence of original species of Quercus L. in Murín 1987; Pagan 1992, 1996; PoÏgaj 1997, Slovakia in order to detect their resistance to etc). this very dangerous illness, which resembles It belonged to the most stricken oaks (PoÏgaj the graphiose of elms (Leach 1935, Heybroek 1986) after the outbreak of tracheomycosis 1966, Greguss 1976). infection. After the onset of infection in the Manion, Lechante (1992) have ecosystemat- years of 1981–1983, mainly in the middle of ic hypothesis for formation of analogical ill- Slovakia, intensity of the infection reduced its nesses. According to this hyopothesis 3 basic progress, but the infection did not retreat in liq- kinds of stresses are responsible: uidating demonstration up to day. In 1996 • Longterm actuating factors such as climatic PoÏgaj and coll. informed about big caducity of influences, immitted load, wrong standing Quercus dalechampii on G˘me‰, where in conditions, longterm deficiency of soily mois- 1995 up to 40% of the individuals died. ture and others 171 Jozef PoÏgaj, Rastislav PoÏgaj, L’ubica PoÏgajová • Factors which amplify the effect of former the area for modifying soil type (sensu ÚHÚL factors, namely wide scale of biotical damag- Zvolen 1975). The stand was sorted according ing factors such as bark beetles and defolia- to Zlatník (1959) into the groups of forest types tors spongy and poisonous infection and according to Hanãinsk˘ (1972) into the for- • Accelerating factors. Here we can integrate est types. Soils and phytocenosis from the mon- infectious illnesses caused by high patogenic itoring areas are described by PoÏgaj, Niã and virulencing species of patogens, mechan- (2001). The health condition of the trees was ical tree abuse, impact of bark beetles and eveluated with scale of nine elements (1; 1 -; 2; defoliators. 2 -; 3; 3 -; 4; 4 -; 5).Basically it is classic five element scale used by Pfiíhoda (1984), He‰ko MATERIALS AND METHODS (1985), âapek (1985) etc. suplemented with intermediates (1-, 2-, etc). The health condition In our case, as it was said, we focused on the was noted within limits once a year from 1984 coppices where Quercus dalechampii was or 1986 till 1999 and its continuance is dominant. The whole monitoring of health con- expressed either by average value for whole dition began by establishing monitoring areas at area (calculated according to PoÏgaj 1987) or the time of the most intensive illness of our for separate trees. oaks. We followed the methods according to which 100 individuals would be monitoring in RESULTS the more accesible landscape and coppices and 50 individuals in the less accesible. In 1984 we First we will interpret the main local condi- established three areas (Kvetnica, Pozdi‰ovce, tions of monitoring areas also with typological Stárhrad) for the Q. dalechampii and in 1986 units (Tab. 1), description of coppices and char- one (âervená Voda). 50 trees were chosen for acteristics of wood stratum (height, thickness), monitoring in all areas. Each tree was paginat- then figures of individuals in separate health ed with black number on the white backround. categories, average values of health condition, Herbal items were taken from these trees and dynamics of illness through the average values they are saved at authors. The height was meas- and individuals. ured by Blumeleiß hightmeasure and circuit Monitoring areas were established at the sec- stem in d1,3 m with tape measure. Phytonotation ond, third and forth forest vegetal level, in vital was accomplished in the area of prompted trees. ecological queue (B) and in acid ecological Land searcher was dud mainly in the middle of queue (A) (sensu Zlatník 1959). Monitoring Table 1. Communities and basic stand characteristics of monitoring areas for observation of Quercus dalechampii Ten. health condition Monitoring Forest Forest Exposition Above Geological Orographical area type type sea-level pad classification group* âervená Voda QF 3302 SE 410 sandstone âergov Kvetnica FQ 2302 S 720 melaphiric Nízke Tatry series Pozdi‰ovce FQ 2307 SE 140 bracical and East-Slovak freshwater lowlands pelvisic put awaies Stárhrad Fqa 4113 SSW 460 authometa- Malá Fatra morphosis granities *Sensu Zlatník (1959) 172 Jozef PoÏgaj, Rastislav PoÏgaj, L’ubica PoÏgajová 2 (1985), 2 – (1986), 4 (1987), 4 (1988), 5 (1989) problem and reduce its impact on the oaks. At which is rough standard case. There was first the chances of success were slim. Acute also the case in which the first three measure- course of illness (âapek 1985) caused that the ments had 1 or even 1989 1-. We did not regis- attacking individuals died during the few tered any designation before mortification of weeks. The individuals fell down in circles (like the tree, till instability of the health categories grow mushrooms). Also SAV under leadership after the consecutive year or continuous forma- of Kubíãek (Kubíãek, Tomasch 1985) tion of the exasperation of health condition sig- embarked on the solution of this serious prob- nalized the mortification. However there were lem. Both state research tasks (VULH, SAV) individuals which were able to outgrow from were examined by professors Kfiístek and category 3 to category 1 – (the tree number 22 Stolina in Kamenn˘ Mlyn near Malacky. There on the area of Stárhrad), or tree number 20 in have arisen some statements. Prof. Stolina’s Kvetnica from category 3 – (1987) to 1 – in view on this is: “... that it is only a temporary 1999. Both examples are only from the whole illness resembling that in Jugoslavia at the monitoring. The main reorganisation occurred beginning of 20-th century”. We agree with this by decreasing, descending or unstable trend statement. At the moment some of the between 1, 1-, 2. Q. dalechampii coppices are broken owing to Also very interseting is the initial position of that illness (Stárhrad, Kvetnica, G˘mes (PoÏgaj paced trees according to sociological position and coll. 1996) etc). All the oak species were in the vesture. In Kvetnica area the bigest injured (PoÏgaj 2000). The condition of some caducity (15 pieces) was observed. The individ- trees has been by all accounts, improving uals came out from all categories of height. The (Kvetnica, âervená Voda) and of others deterior- group of smaller trees under the number 3–10 ating (Pozdi‰ovce, Stárhrad). completely died and left there the bear plain. One of the highest trees (15 m) also dropped out CONCLUSION (Fig. 2). In the case of thickness it was likewise. As a consequence of tracheomycosis affec- After 1984 the health condition under the tion in Pozdi‰ovce 6 trees dropped out. The influence of tracheomycosis infection became trees 13, 21, 37, 44 dropped out in consequence worse. It could be demonstrated the 16-years of obscuration. observations of Q. dalechampii health condi- 5 individuals dropped out in Stárhrad, all as tion on 4 monitoring areas. Acute infection a result of tracheomycosis affection. 1 individ- did not acute during vegetation period, but ual died in âervená Voda monitoring area dur- individual gradual mortifications were mani- ing our monitoring, the tree 18 (28 m high) fested. Within several years observations passed from health category 1 – to category 4. have shown relatively frequent individual transformations from the health category 1 to DISCUSSION health category 1 – or 2. At the same time there was also reorganisation from the health First of all we would like to refer to an anal- category 2 – to categories 1, 1-, 2.