4.5 Article

Preinvasion Assessment of Exotic Bark Beetle-Vectored Fungi to Detect Tree-Killing Pathogens

Journal

PHYTOPATHOLOGY
Volume 112, Issue 2, Pages 261-270

Publisher

AMER PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-01-21-0041-R

Keywords

epidemiology; forest pathology; fungal pathogens; host-parasite interactions

Categories

Funding

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
  2. U.S. Forest Service Forest Health Protection
  3. USDA-FS Southern Research Station
  4. National Science Foundation [1414801, 1834264, 1556283]
  5. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services-Division of Plant Industry
  6. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
  7. University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute
  8. Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic [MZE-RO0118]
  9. Direct For Biological Sciences
  10. Division Of Environmental Biology [1834264] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
  11. Division Of Environmental Biology
  12. Direct For Biological Sciences [1556283] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
  13. Office Of Internatl Science &Engineering
  14. Office Of The Director [1414801] Funding Source: National Science Foundation

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The study assessed the potential risk of invasion and impact by evaluating fungi associated with Old World bark and ambrosia beetles. The findings showed that there were no highly virulent pathogens that posed an imminent threat to North American trees. Most of the tested fungi had no significant impact, suggesting that concerns over overseas fungus vectors suspected of heightened potential risk may be eased. This study highlights the importance of preinvasion assessment in supporting practical risk assessment of exotic pathogens.
Exotic diseases and pests of trees have caused continental-scale disturbances in forest ecosystems and industries, and their invasions are considered largely unpredictable. We tested the concept of preinvasion assessment of not yet invasive organisms, which enables empirical risk assessment of potential invasion and impact. Our example assesses fungi associated with Old World bark and ambrosia beetles and their potential to impact North American trees. We selected 55 Asian and European scolytine beetle species using host use, economic, and regulatory criteria. We isolated 111 of their most consistent fungal associates and tested their effect on four important southeastern American pine and oak species. Our test dataset found no highly virulent pathogens that should be classified as an imminent threat. Twenty-two fungal species were minor pathogens, which may require context-dependent response for their vectors at North American borders, while most of the tested fungi displayed no significant impact. Our results are significant in three ways; they ease the concerns over multiple overseas fungus vectors suspected of heightened potential risk, they provide a basis for the focus on the prevention of introduction and establishment of species that may be of consequence, and they demonstrate that preinvasion assessment, if scaled up, can support practical risk assessment of exotic pathogens.

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