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4 pages, 672 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Management of Forest Pests and Diseases

by Won Il Choi and Young-Seuk Park

Forests 2022, 13(11), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111765 - 27 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2452

Abstract

The occurrence patterns of forest insect pests and diseases have been altered by global events such as climate change. Recent developments in improved monitoring methods and tools for data analyses provide new opportunities to understand the causes and consequences of such changes. Using [...] Read more.

The occurrence patterns of forest insect pests and diseases have been altered by global events such as climate change. Recent developments in improved monitoring methods and tools for data analyses provide new opportunities to understand the causes and consequences of such changes. Using a variety of management tools, forest pest management programs can mitigate the influence of global changes on forest health. The goal of this Special Issue is to improve our understanding of the root causes of changes that have induced global changes. Fifteen papers are included in this Special Issue, covering several issues in forest pest management. One paper reviews the causes of Korean oak wilt, and another paper discusses fourteen invasive tree pests in Russia. The remaining thirteen papers cover issues related to the monitoring and management of forest pests. These studies provide a better understanding of the causes of change in the patterns of forest pests under the influence of global changes. These reviews also contribute to the development of forest-pest-management strategies to mitigate such impacts on forests due to global changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

Research

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16 pages, 5395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Integrated Control for Verticillium Wilt of Smoke Trees in Beijing

by Bimeng Li, Ruifeng Guo, Yize Zhao, Qiyan Li, Lizhou Song, Chong Shen, Chenming Du, Yuntao Gu, Guanghang Qiao, Liping Wang, Fei Yuan, Sanxiang Huang and Yonglin Wang

Forests 2024, 15(5), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050776 - 28 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1150

Abstract

Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) is an important ornamental tree that represents the autumnal landscape of red leaves in Northern China, especially in Beijing. However, Verticillium wilt, caused by the fungus (Verticillium dahliae), has resulted in a high mortality rate [...] Read more.

Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) is an important ornamental tree that represents the autumnal landscape of red leaves in Northern China, especially in Beijing. However, Verticillium wilt, caused by the fungus (Verticillium dahliae), has resulted in a high mortality rate for smoke trees, posing a serious threat to the highly valued landscape of red leaves in Beijing. To explore an efficient control measure for Verticillium wilt, we systematically analyzed the applicability and efficacy of multiple treatments for three consecutive years in Xiangshan Park and Badaling Forest Park. From 2021 to 2023, diseased smoke trees in Xiangshan Park were subjected to three application methods (agent irrigation, trunk injection, or a combination of the two) and five candidate agents, namely Bacillus subtilis, azoxystrobin, propiconazole, carbendazim, and prochloraz. Analyses of the data for three consecutive years revealed a decreasing trend in the annual disease incidence rate. Specifically, the combined application of agent irrigation and trunk injection exhibited the highest control effect and a significant improvement in the landscape of red leaves in Beijing. Furthermore, the combination of propiconazole via irrigation plus the trunk injection of carbendazim and prochloraz had the greatest control effect. These suppressive measurements were further used and demonstrated to be effective in Badaling Forest Park. Overall, our study provides an effective disease management means for controlling Verticillium wilt in smoke trees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

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12 pages, 3375 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antifungal Activity of Culture Filtrate from Endophytic Fungus Nectria balsamea E282 and Its Fractions against Dryadomyces quercus-mongolicae

by Manh Ha Nguyen, Il-Kwon Park, Jong Kyu Lee, Dong-Hyeon Lee and Keumchul Shin

Forests 2024, 15(2), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020332 - 8 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1253

Abstract

A key role that fungal endophytes play in interacting with their host plant can be defined by the fact that they promote the growth of plants and enhance the tolerance of the host against plant pathogens using bioactive compounds that they produce. Several [...] Read more.

A key role that fungal endophytes play in interacting with their host plant can be defined by the fact that they promote the growth of plants and enhance the tolerance of the host against plant pathogens using bioactive compounds that they produce. Several studies utilizing endophytic fungi as a source of biological control against plant pathogens were conducted, and a representative example includes Aureobasidium protae from common wheat (Triticum aestivum), which inhibited the mycelial growth of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, causal agents of Fusarium head blight disease. Our previous study indicated that three endophytic fungal isolates, E089 (Daldinia childiae), E282 (Nectria balsamea), and E409 (Colletotrichum acutatum), showed antifungal activities against D. quercus-mongolicae, an ascomycetous fungus that is reported to be associated with oak mortality in South Korea. The objectives of this study were to optimize and evaluate antifungal efficiency for these endophytic fungi against D. quercus-mongolicae, and this was achieved using culture filtrate retrieved from the three above-mentioned endophytes and fractions isolated from the culture filtrate. Of those, the culture filtrate from E282 showed higher mycelial growth and sporulation inhibitions on PDA medium where D. quercus-mongolicae was grown. In addition, three fractions, including hexane, CHCl₃, Et₂O, and H₂O, were tested for antifungal activities against D. quercus-mongolicae. The results revealed that the Et₂O fraction showed higher mycelial growth and sporulation inhibition rates. Taking these results together, the endophytic fungus, N. balsamea, which exhibited high antifungal efficiency, can be effectively used as a biocontrol agent for the management of oak wilt disease in the country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

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11 pages, 6020 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antagonistic Activity and Potential Mechanisms of Endophytic Bacillus subtilis YL13 in Biocontrol of Camellia oleifera Anthracnose

by Yandong Xia, Junang Liu, Zhikai Wang, Yuan He, Qian Tan, Zhuang Du, Anqi Niu, Manman Liu, Zhong Li, Mengke Sang and Guoying Zhou

Forests 2023, 14(5), 886; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14050886 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2380

Abstract

Anthracnose, caused by the fungus Collectotrichum fructicola (C. fructicola), is a major disease affecting the quality and yield of Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera); it reduces C. oleifera yield by 40%–80%. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) YL13 is an [...] Read more.

Anthracnose, caused by the fungus Collectotrichum fructicola (C. fructicola), is a major disease affecting the quality and yield of Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera); it reduces C. oleifera yield by 40%–80%. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) YL13 is an antagonistic endophytic bacteria strain isolated from healthy C. oleifera leaves. This study was aimed at investigating the potential of YL13 for the biocontrol of C. oleifera anthracnose and the possible mechanisms involved. In in vitro assays, YL13 demonstrated remarkable antagonistic activity of C. fructicola. Its cell-free filtrates displayed antagonistic activity, which suggested that the metabolites of YL13 might play important roles. In vivo tests showed that the disease index of YL13-treated plants was obviously reduced under greenhouse conditions. YL13 secretes a variety of bioactive metabolites, including protease, cellulase, and siderophore, which might participate in the resistance to C. fructicola. In addition, C. oleifera treated with the fermentation broth of YL13 demonstrated different defense responses, e.g., accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and activation of the defense-related enzyme peroxidase (POD), which might contribute directly or indirectly to overcome external stresses. The significant biocontrol effect and host defense-induction activity of YL13 suggested that this B. subtilis strain as well as its metabolites have the potential to be exploited as microbial control agents for the efficient management of C. oleifera anthracnose. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

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The antagonistic effect of YL13 on C. fructicola in vitro. (A) The antagonistic activity on C. fructicola by YL13 fermentation broth; (B) The antagonistic activity on C. fructicola by YL13 cell-free filtrate; (C) SEM observation of C. fructicola hyphal structures. CK, control, not exposed to YL13; YL13, exposed to YL13; h, hours; bars: 50 μm, 10 μm; red box indicates the hyphae were broken, wrinkled, and irregularly twined into clumps. Full article ">Figure 2
The ability of YL13 to produce protease (A), cellulase (B), and siderophore (C). Full article ">Figure 3
YL13-induced H2O2 accumulation in C. oleifera leaves. CK, control, spraying with LB medium; YL13, spraying with YL13 fermentation broth (1.0 × 108 CFU mL−1). Bars represent the standard errors of three replicates. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. Full article ">Figure 4
Peroxidase (POD) activity in YL13-inoculated C. oleifera leaves. CK, control, spraying with LB medium; YL13, spraying with YL13 fermentation broth (1.0 × 108 CFU mL−1). Bars represent the standard errors of three replicates. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. Full article ">

20 pages, 6289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lattice Structure and Spatial Network Models Incorporating into Simulating Human-Mediated Dispersal of the Western Conifer Seed Bug Populations in South Korea

by Xiaodong Zhang, Dae-Seong Lee, Young-Seuk Park, Muyoung Heo, Il-Kyu Eom, Yang-Seop Bae, Tak-Gi Lee and Tae-Soo Chon

Forests 2023, 14(3), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030552 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1463

Abstract

The western conifer seed bug (WCSB), Leptoglossus occidentalis, has expanded rapidly in the southern peninsula of Korea since it was first reported in southeastern Korea in 2010. Two types of human-mediated passive movements were devised for modeling the rapid advancement of the [...] Read more.

The western conifer seed bug (WCSB), Leptoglossus occidentalis, has expanded rapidly in the southern peninsula of Korea since it was first reported in southeastern Korea in 2010. Two types of human-mediated passive movements were devised for modeling the rapid advancement of the pest population in this study: traffic effects and forest-product transportation. A lattice structure model (LSM) was developed to accommodate the traffic effects pertaining to the local area along with the natural population dynamics of the pest. Separately, a spatial network model (SNM) was constructed to present the passive movement of the WCSB because of forest-product transportation between all local areas in Korea. The gravity rule was applied to obtain the parameters for forest-product transportation between the local areas. LSM and SNM were linked to the two present types of passive movements in the model. The model simulated fast, linear advancement in a short period, compared with slow, circular advancement because of the conventional natural diffusion process of populations. Simulation results were comparable to field data observed in the southern peninsula of Korea, matching the rapid advancement of about 400 km to the north area (Seoul) from the south area (Changwon) within six years and expanding across the nation in 10 years. Possible saturation of populations was predicted in the 2020s if survival conditions for the WCSB were favorable and no control efforts were given in field conditions. Dispersal because of SNM notably surpassed the dispersal simulated by LSM when the WCSB population rapidly dispersed over a wide area. The Allee-effect and contribution ratio of SNM were the factors governing the rapid expansion of pest populations. The possibility of using the combined model was further discussed to address different types of human-mediated passive movements associated with population dynamics in forest pest dispersal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 2408 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Breeding of Highly Virulent Beauveria bassiana Strains for Biological Control of the Leaf-Eating Pests of Dalbergia odorifera

by Xianpeng Ni, Hongjun Li, Yandong Xia, Yan Lin, Chuanting Wang, Cong Li, Junang Liu and Guoying Zhou

Forests 2023, 14(2), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020316 - 6 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1709

Abstract

Dalbergia odorifera (D. odorifera), commonly named the fragrant rosewood, is one of the second-level protected wild plants in China, and one of 34 species of rosewood in five genera and eight categories in the National Standard of China. As a kind [...] Read more.

Dalbergia odorifera (D. odorifera), commonly named the fragrant rosewood, is one of the second-level protected wild plants in China, and one of 34 species of rosewood in five genera and eight categories in the National Standard of China. As a kind of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it plays an important role in the pharmaceutical industry, including the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, rheumatic pain, etc. With the continuous expansion of the planting area of D. odorifera, the diseases and pests of D. odorifera become more and more serious, among which leaf-eating pests are the most serious. In this study, ultraviolet rays and microwaves were used to mutagenize Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) strain HNCMBJ-P-01, and excellent mutant strains with high spore yield and high virulence were screened out, and then they were prepared into a wettable powder for forest control experiments to study their biocontrol effects. The virulence screening test showed that the virulence of strain HBWB-44 was the strongest, and the 10 day corrected mortality rate was 80.00%, and the lethal time was 5.622 days. The results of biological control test showed that the control effect of B. bassiana wettable powder 100 times solution reached 60.89%, second only to the botanical fungicide matrine. Generically, The B. bassiana that we screened and mutated showed a good killing effect on Plecoptera bilinealis (P. bilinealis), and the wettable powder produced by it showed a good control effect on the leaf-eating pests of D. odorifera. The application of fungal insecticides in plantations has a good prospect for controlling the occurrence of leaf-eating pests of D. odorifera. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

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14 pages, 3650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Occurrence Prediction of Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis: Coreidae) and Evaluation of the Effects of Climate Change on Its Distribution in South Korea Using Machine Learning Methods

by Dae-Seong Lee, Tak-Gi Lee, Yang-Seop Bae and Young-Seuk Park

Forests 2023, 14(1), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010117 - 8 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3537

Abstract

The western conifer seed bug (WCSB; Leptoglossus occidentalis) causes huge ecological and economic problems as an alien invasive species in forests. In this study, a species distribution model (SDM) was developed to evaluate the potential occurrence of the WCSBs and the effects [...] Read more.

The western conifer seed bug (WCSB; Leptoglossus occidentalis) causes huge ecological and economic problems as an alien invasive species in forests. In this study, a species distribution model (SDM) was developed to evaluate the potential occurrence of the WCSBs and the effects of climate on WCSB distribution in South Korea. Based on WCSB occurrence and environmental data, including geographical and meteorological variables, SDMs were developed with maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and random forest (RF) algorithms, which are machine learning methods, and they showed good performance in predicting WCSB occurrence. On the potential distribution map of WCSBs developed by the model ensemble with integrated MaxEnt and RF models, the WCSB occurrence areas were mostly located at low altitudes, near roads, and in urban areas. Additionally, environmental factors associated with anthropogenic activities, such as roads and night lights, strongly influenced the occurrence and dispersal of WCSBs. Metropolitan cities and their vicinities in South Korea showed a high probability of WCSB occurrence. Furthermore, the occurrence of WCSBs in South Korea is predicted to intensify in the future owing to climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

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Figure 1
Distribution of WCSB occurrence (red points) in South Korea. These are the points after performing spatial filtering. Full article ">Figure 2
Comparison of environmental conditions between the presence (P) and absence (A) sites of WCSBs. The z-score (z) and p-value (p) were calculated based on test statistics (U) of the Mann–Whitney U test. The bars and error bars represent the mean and standard error of each variable. (a) Maximum temperature of the warmest month, (b) minimum temperature of the coldest month, (c) annual precipitation, (d) precipitation of driest month, (e) elevation, (f) slope, (g) night light, (h) distance to the road. Full article ">Figure 3
The relationship between the environments in the occurrence sites of WCSBs. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used. The numbers in the figure mean correlation coefficient (r). Gray letters indicate statistically insignificant relationships (p ≥ 0.05). Bio5: maximum temperature of the warmest month; Bio6: minimum temperature of the coldest month; Bio12: annual precipitation; Bio14: precipitation of driest month; Ele: elevation; Light: night light; Road: distance to the road. Full article ">Figure 4
Variable importance in the RF model (a) and the MaxEnt model (b) and importance ranks (c) to predict the occurrence of WCSBs. The bars and error bars represent the mean and standard error of each variable. The abbreviation of environmental variables is the same as in <a href="#forests-14-00117-f003" class="html-fig">Figure 3</a>. Full article ">Figure 5
Partial dependence plots of both the SDMs for WCSBs. Solid lines are regression curves using LOESS, and gray areas display the 95% confidence interval. (a) Maximum temperature of the warmest month, (b) minimum temperature of the coldest month, (c) annual precipitation, (d) precipitation of driest month, (e) elevation, (f) slope, (g) night light, (h) distance to the road. Full article ">Figure 6
Prediction of the potential distribution areas of WCSB in historical (a) and future climate conditions (b–e). Two shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios were used for future climate data: (near future for 2021–2040) SSP1-2.6 data (b) and SSP5-8.5 (c), (far future for 2061–2080) SSP1-2.6 data (d) and SSP5-8.5 data (e). The maps are the ensemble result of the random forest model and maximum entropy model. All maps have the same color legends. Full article ">Figure 7
The effects of climate change on the occurrence of WCSBs in South Korea. All values in the figure are interval values. Change in the occurrence risk of WCSBs according to (a) elevation and (b) latitude (NF: near future (2021–2040); FF: Far future (2061-2080)). (c) Impacts of intensified climate change in the future. (d) Change in the occurrence risk of WCSBs between climate change scenarios in the far future. The degree of change in the near future and the far future (c,d) was obtained by subtracting probability under SSP5-8.5 from probability under SSP1-2.6. Grids with gray color mean no data. Full article ">

12 pages, 2289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Chilling Temperature on Survival and Post-Diapause Development of Korean Population of Lymantria dispar asiatica (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) Eggs

by Min-Jung Kim, Keonhee E. Kim, Cha Young Lee, Yonghwan Park, Jong-Kook Jung and Youngwoo Nam

Forests 2022, 13(12), 2117; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122117 - 10 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1608

Abstract

One of the subspecies of the Eurasian spongy moth, Lymantria dispar asiatica, is a destructive forest pest in native regions and also an important quarantine pest in non-native regions. Its polyphagous nature, together with occasional outbreaks, may seriously threaten ecosystems and result [...] Read more.

One of the subspecies of the Eurasian spongy moth, Lymantria dispar asiatica, is a destructive forest pest in native regions and also an important quarantine pest in non-native regions. Its polyphagous nature, together with occasional outbreaks, may seriously threaten ecosystems and result in costly management programs. In this study, we examined the effect of chilling temperatures (−12, −6, 0, 6, and 12 °C) during the diapause phase on the survival and post-diapause development of L. d. asiatica eggs, collected before winter, in order to characterize their thermal response. The eggs were exposed to treatment temperatures for 100 days, followed by 25 °C incubation to determine their survival and development time. The eggs hatched in all the treatments, indicating that all the examined conditions could partly or sufficiently satisfy the thermal requirement for eggs to enter post-diapause development. However, exposure to chilling temperatures significantly affected both the survival and development times of overwintering eggs in a given temperature range. The survival rates declined at −12 °C, and the development rates accelerated as the chilling temperature increased. This information could offer clues for the assessment of the outbreak potential in native regions and the possibility of range expansion in non-native regions through the consideration of winter conditions that favor L. d. asiatica egg hatching and their subsequent development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Forest Pests and Diseases—2nd Edition)

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Sampled location for L. d. asiatica eggs in this study on the distribution map of mean temperature of coldest quarter (<a href="https://www.worldclim.org/" target="_blank">https://www.worldclim.org/</a>, accessed on 31 October 2022). Abbreviations of locations are given in <a href="#forests-13-02117-t001" class="html-table">Table 1</a>. Full article ">Figure 2
Schematic diagram of temporal pattern of temperature experienced by eggs of HC population in this study. Daily mean temperatures before the date of egg collection were obtained from KMA website (<a href="http://web.kma.go.kr/" target="_blank">http://web.kma.go.kr/</a>, accessed on 31 October 2022). The eggs were exposed to one of the five chilling temperatures (−12, −6, 0, 6, and 12 °C) for 100 days, followed by post-chill temperature of 25 °C. Full article ">Figure 3
(A) survival rate and (B) development time of Lymantria dispar asiatica eggs of eight experimental populations for each treatment. Different letters above the bars indicate significant differences according to mixed effect models (p < 0.001). Full article ">Figure 4
Coefficient variation (CV) of (A) survival rate and (B) median development time of Lymantria dispar asiatica eggs of sampled sites (n = 8) for each treatment. Full article ">Figure 5
Cumulative distribution models for the development completion of Lymantria dispar asiatica eggs depending on different chilling treatments. Full article ">

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