Abstract

Global change is pressing forest pathologists to solve increasingly complex problems. We argue that understanding interactive effects between forest pathogens and global warming, globalization, and land-use changes may benefit from a functional ecology mindset. Traits can be more informative about ecological functions than species inventories and may deliver a more mechanistic description of forest disease. Myriad microbes with pathogenic potential interact with forest ecosystems at different organizational levels. Elucidation of functional traits may enable the microbial complexity to be reduced into manageable categories with predictive power. In this review, we propose guidelines that allow the research community to develop a functional forest pathology approach. We suggest new angles by which functional questions can be used to resolve burning issues on tree disease. Building up functional databases for pathogenicity is key to implementing these approaches.

Keywords

functional trait; forest pathology; nutrient cycling; invasive pathogen; Phytophthora; root rot pathogen

Published in

Annual Review of Phytopathology
2020, Volume: 58, pages: 343-361

SLU Authors

• Redondo, Miguel Angel

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Stenlid, Jan

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network


Sustainable Development Goals

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts


UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Forest Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-phyto-080417-050028

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/105625