The Causal Agent Of Cypress Tree

Tillansia usneoides does not require a specific host tree and so are considered generalists (Ackerman et al. 1989, Tremblay et al. 1998, Benzing,1990). However they appear

The ancient forests of the Northeast aren’t the only aspect of the bioregion that’s fate have been at perpetual risk since the early settlement of Europeans. There is no question that forests still dominate the landscape of Northeastern region accounting for “60% of the total land area, and in New England alone, the coverage is 80%”. Still the species that exist within the understory of the forests have undergone an equally dramatic transformation because of human interaction with the land and the harvest of its resources. Some species in the understory of the mixed forests of the Northeast have been driven out of the region, are under intense ecological pressure, are on the brink of extinction, or have already gone extinct in the region. Perhaps one of the most harmful and impactful effects colonization of the Northeast has had on the resources of the land is the introduction of non-native species and diseases into the region. Over time the overall makeup of the forests have changed drastically as an example, “…the American chestnut once made up as much as 25% of the trees in some areas and was economically the most important hardwood in the Eastern forests”. The introduction of chestnut blight at the turn of the century accounts for

Laurel Wilt Disease is a scourge here in Florida. The disease affects laurel trees all over the Southeast, with the most notable victim being avocado trees. The beetles also effect sassafras trees, pond spice trees, and swamp bays. The main cause of this disease is a fungus known as Raffaelea Lauricola that is transmitted through a beetle called the red bay ambrosia beetle (Persea Borbonia). Neither of these species are native to the area. It was brought over to the states through wooden shipping containers that had contained the beetle insect. The insect and disease came from countries like India, Japan, Myanmar, and Taiwan. The disease works by having the beetle come into the country, hiding in the wooden crates. Once in America, the beetle enters into the environment and seeks trees to bore into for food and shelter. The beetles contain spores that containing the fungus that kills the host tree. The fungus then grows in the sapwood of the tree, restricting the flow of food, sap, and nutrients around the tree. This results in die back and eventually, a dead tree. The disease is known to highly effect the avocado industry and the natural forests in Florida. Currently, 61 out of 67 counties in Florida contain reports of Laurel Wilt Disease as of 2015. That is an enormous 91%.

4. Know the classification of fungal diseases (mycoses). 30% of known fungal species produce mycoses, which are fungal diseases of plants, animals, and humans. Classifications of fungi are; Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota.

The mountain yellow-legged frog is declining due to the introduction of trout, contaminants, increased levels of ultraviolet radiation, and the fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. David Bradford, one of the first witnesses to the decline in the late seventies, noticed the species dropping because of the red-leg disease. Because this is a secondary infection, the frog’s immune system was weakened before the disease became existent. The chytrid fungus was first cited in the Sierra Nevada in 2001, brought here from African clawed frogs, but studies have suggested that the disease has been evident since the mid-‘70s. Nearly three decades later, the mountain yellow-legged frog is still declining. Currently, with a ninety-eight percent decline, there

se that is endemic to the southwest United States (California, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Nevada, and New Mexico), Mexico, Central America, and South America [1]. Disease infection results from inhaling the spores from soil fungus Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii [1]. The two fungi are located in separate regional locations, however, studies have shown that they are relatively identical and manifest the disease in the same way. Calling home in arid, desert areas, Coccidioidomycosis spores are found in lower elevations, 4 inches or more under sandy soil. They are endemic in areas with less than 20 inches of rain per year [1]. The most common opportunity to become infected is when the soil is disrupted by construction, entertainment

Albino redwoods and fungi share similarities, while also differing in some traits. When it comes to the structure of both plants, albino redwoods have green and yellowish needles, a combination of normal and albino tissues, and male and female cones (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140319-redwood-albino-chimera-california-tree-tallest/), while fungi have vegetative tissues (hyphae and mycelium), reproductive bodies/structures and spores. Both fungi and albino redwoods do not contain chlorophyll, so they are dependent on other living organisms to provide them with nutrients. Fungi are described as either decomposers or saprotrophs, while albino redwoods are parasites. Albino redwoods act as parasites by stealing nutrients from

Forests are carbon sinks, they absorb carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it in plant biomass and soils belowground. When the trees die, they stop absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, and as they decompose, they release some of the stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere (Suzuki & Moola, 2008). The mountain pine beetle (Aendroctonus ponderosae) is a primary agent of forest disturbance, a higher number of outbreaks occur due to favorable forest age and climate patterns (Progar et al., 2014). The mountain pine beetle (MPB) starts its attack when the female finds a pine tree (usually lodgepole) that is at least 80 years old. Upon finding the tree the female bores into it, while releasing a pheromone that attracts the male beetles. When the males arrive they, also release more pheromones to attract more females. The tree tries to defend its self by secreting a toxic resin. But the beetles carry spores of a blue-stain fungus in their mouths which they release as they bore into the tree, the fungus prevents the tree from transporting nutrients and water. The beetles lay eggs under the tree’s bark, and when the larvae hatch, they feed on the blue fungus until they are mature enough to leave the now dead tree (Aukema et al., 2006).

Cryptococcus gattii is a fungus that lives in the soil associated with certain trees and causes the infection C. gattii Cryptococcus’s. In mild climates, the fungus survives in soil and grows in tree bark. Douglas-firs carry the fungus. The fungus occurs in the top 15cm of the soil, on trees, wood chips, mulch, and other natural “reservoirs.” Fungus spores are aerosolized through soil disturbance. (https://www.emlab.com/s/sampling/env-report-03-2012.html) The microscopic fungus C. gattii can infect people after breathing it in from the environment. Cryptococcus’s affects the lungs or the central nervous system; mainly the brain and spinal cord. When the brain is infected they call it cryptococcal meningitis. Both humans and animals can become infected after inhaling airborne, dried yeast cells or spores from the

What is ‘Myrtle Rust’ and how pernicious is it? Myrtle Rust, aka Uredo rangelii, is a fungal plant pathogen native to South America that affects plants in Myrtaceae family, such as Tea tree, Beach Cherry and Bottle Brush (DAFF, 2012). Its advent can be witnessed in the form of small purple flecks and leaf spots on young leaves. It then utilizes its vicious powers to create tiny, raised spots or pustules, which turn powdery distinctive yellow after a few days. It attacks young and new plants and causes them to be stunted, leaves to be twisted and even leads to their death. While the South American trees have some resistance against this aggressor, the Australian ones are more vulnerable. It has the potential to affect up to 80 per cent of Australian native trees and the crusade cannot be stopped once it has occupied the bush lands (NSW Scientific

Are your evergreen branches brown on the end? Or have you seen new, yellow needles? This tree fungus may be hurting your trees.

This paper was about the bidirectional anatomical effects of mistletoe-host the sweet gum tree (L. styraciflua) and the Mexican royal oak (Q. germana). The main reason that the researchers wanted to do this study was because while multiple studies have been completed on how a parasite effects the host little has been done to study the effect of the host on the parasite. The researchers used standard techniques for light and transmission electron microscopes to study the effect of mistletoe on the sweet gum tree and the Mexican royal oak and vice versa. The key results for this paper were as follows, the

The graph above shows that the south aspect of most of the trees in Campbelltown Campus had the greatest surface area of lichen coverage on the tree trunk, compared to the other aspects (east, north and west). The east aspect had the second highest average cell count of lichen coverage. The north and west aspects had a similar cell count which varied by a small amount, with the north aspect having the lowest amount of lichen coverage, and the west being the second lowest.

Roots of Limber Pine is associated with a mycorrhiza fungus. Gomphidius smithii forms a mutualistic relationship with the roots of Limber Pine. Pinus Flexilis is intolerant to shade that’s why it is seral to most of its associated trees. However, despite it is seral to many trees, Pinner Limber can codominate with some species under harsh environment stresses. In sites that include bushy trees with a little space between them, Pinus Flexilis don’t manage to maintain its population in the presence of other conifers.

Citrus greening disease, also commonly referred to as Huanglongbing, is a much newer disease to Florida than citrus canker. Although the bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, has been an issue in China since the 1900’s, it did not arrive in the US until 2005 (“Citrus Greening”). The disease is spread through its primary vector, an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid. Symptoms, which include yellow mottling of leaves, small, green, and misshapen fruit, and poor yields, may not appear until several years after a tree is infected. Citrus greening is such an important issue currently because, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, “other than tree removal, there is no effective control once a tree is infected and there is no known cure for the disease” (“Citrus Greening”). To date, revenue loss caused by citrus greening disease exceeds $3.6 billion (“Citrus Greening”). Although importing a race of orange that is resistant to greening may be helpful, the imported plants must first make it through inspection and quarantine.