Location
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (virtual)
Date
9-4-2021 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Climate is a key consideration in the assessment of risks to high value resources such as Juglans nigra. Thousand cankers disease (TCD) caused by Geosmithia morbida and its vector Pityophthorus juglandis may be limited by competition with fungi adapted to different climate optima than G. morbida. In particular, humidity and moisture are critically important factors in competition of fungi in wood. We conducted competition experiments in J. nigra wood that was naturally or artificially colonized by G. morbida and other fungi over a range of equilibrium wood moisture content (EMC) expected across prevailing U.S. climatic conditions. G. morbida consistently and successfully outcompeted other fungi at very low (< 5%) EMC. Expected survival of G. morbida was highest in historical TCD epicenters and partly explained the low incidence and severity of TCD in the eastern U.S. Our results predict that under future climate scenarios, the area impacted by TCD will expand into the native range of J. nigra.
Wood Moisture Content Predicts the Fate of Juglans nigra Threatened by Thousand Cankers Disease
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (virtual)
Climate is a key consideration in the assessment of risks to high value resources such as Juglans nigra. Thousand cankers disease (TCD) caused by Geosmithia morbida and its vector Pityophthorus juglandis may be limited by competition with fungi adapted to different climate optima than G. morbida. In particular, humidity and moisture are critically important factors in competition of fungi in wood. We conducted competition experiments in J. nigra wood that was naturally or artificially colonized by G. morbida and other fungi over a range of equilibrium wood moisture content (EMC) expected across prevailing U.S. climatic conditions. G. morbida consistently and successfully outcompeted other fungi at very low (< 5%) EMC. Expected survival of G. morbida was highest in historical TCD epicenters and partly explained the low incidence and severity of TCD in the eastern U.S. Our results predict that under future climate scenarios, the area impacted by TCD will expand into the native range of J. nigra.
Comments
2021 FNR Poster Competition, Graduate Research - 3rd Place