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Objectives:
The
main objective is to improve our understanding of the complex
processes governing the long-term dynamics of oak ecosystems,
that may sometimes lead to severe and recurrent decline episodes.
We will concentrate on the role of root pathogens that interact
with environmental constraints as potential decline-inducing factors.
As a result of this effort, comprehensive conclusions will contribute
to improved oak forest management that allows for the escape or
containment of the decline hazard. Intermediate objectives are:
1)
to develop a retrospective analysis of growth and water-use
in healthy and declining trees;
2)
to broaden evidence on occurrence and distribution of Phytophthora
species and related fine root-damaging fungi in oak stands,
and to assess their pathogenicity on oak trees;
3)
to understand how fine root disease may increase susceptibility
of oaks to decline and how root rot pathogens may promote long-term
damage;
4)
to draw evidence on conditions under which decline scenarii
as sketched from the research results could develop in different
stands.
Description:
The
research proposed will interact between two groups of disciplines:
ecophysiology and pathology. It will be conduced in four countries
(France, Germany, Italy and the UK). It involves fourteen teams
grouped in five contractor partners. Studying water efficiency
will make it possible to know for oaks, how long a time is required
for decline to develop and if some trees are predisposed to it,
particularly trees infected by root and butt rot basidiomycetes.
Interaction between root pathogens and oak physiology will be
studied in forest conditions on mature trees and in experimentally
controlled conditions on young trees as well. Two groups of pathogens
will be considered, those infecting big roots (i.e. root and butt
rot basidiomycetes) and those infecting fine roots (Pythiacious
fungi). Special attention will be paid to water status of oaks
in the presence of root pathogens and nitrogen nutrition will
be also considered. Water status of trees will be considered as
a predisposing factor and as a consequence of root infection.
The proposal also aims to clarify the possible impact of Pythiacious
fungi, particularly Phytophthora species on oak. This will be
obtained in an extensive survey of oak ecosystems, to determine
the fungi distribution in soils, then investigating pathogenicity.
Many methods and techniques that we will develop in the proposal
will be common, making the results comparable. Results obtained
will help to define comprehensive scenarii of oak decline and
to recommend some types of management better adapted to contain
decline hazards.
Website:
http://www.nancy.inra.fr/
Coordinator
Claude
DELATOUR
Institut
National de la Recherche Agronomique
Centre
de Recherches de Nancy
F-54280
CHAMPENOUX
Tel.:
+33 3 83 39 40 55
Fax:
+33 3 83 39 40 69
E-mail:
delatour@nancy.inra.fr
Partners
- Wolfgang, Franz OßWALD
Technischen Universität München
Am Hochanger 13
D-85354 Freising
Tel.: +49 816 171 45 77
Fax:+49 816 171 45 76
E-mail: osswald@bot.forst.uni-muenchen.de
- Clive Michael BRASIER
Forestry Commission Research Agency
Alice Holt Lodge, Wrecclesham
UK-GU1O 4LH Farnham
Tel.:+44 1420 222 55
Fax: +44 1420 236 53
E-mail: brasier@fcrd.gov.uk
- Naldo ANSELMI
Universita' degli Studi della Tuscia
Via S.Giovanni Decollato,1
I-01100 Viterbo
Tel.: +39 07 61 35 74 62
Fax: 39 07 61 35 74 73
E-mail: anselmi@unitus.it
Subcontractor
- Francesco MORIONDO
Istituto di patologia e zoologia forestale eagraria Universita
di Firenze
Piazzale Delle Cascine 28
I-50144 Firenze
Tel: +39 055 328 82 73
Fax: +39 055 354 786
E-mail: capretti@ipaf.fi.cnr.it
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