Dominique Piou

The influences of forest stand management on biotic and abiotic risks of damage

Abstract• This article synthesizes and reviews the available information on the effects of forestry practices on the occurrence of biotic and abiotic hazards, as well as on stand susceptibility to these damaging agents, concentrating on mammal herbivores, pest insects, pathogenic fungi, wind and fire.• The management operations examined are site selection, site preparation, stand composition, regeneration method, cleaning and weed control, thinning and pruning, and harvesting. For each of these operations we have examined how they influence the occurrence of biotic and abiotic damaging agents, the susceptibility of European forests, and describe the ecological processes that may explain these influences.• Overall, we find that the silvicultural operations that have the largest influence on both biotic and abiotic risks to European forest stands are closely related to species composition and the structure of the overstorey. Four main processes that drive the causal relationships between stand management and susceptibility have been identified: effect on local microclimate, provision of fuel and resources to biotic and abiotic hazards, enhancement of biological control by natural enemies and changes in individual tree physiology and development.• The review demonstrates an opportunity to develop silvicultural methods that achieve forest management objectives at the same time as minimising biotic and abiotic risks.Résumé• Cette revue bibliographique s’intéresse aux effets de la sylviculture sur la sensibilité des peuplements forestiers aux principaux agents de dégâts biotiques et abiotiques que sont les mammifères herbivores, les insectes ravageurs, les champignons pathogènes, le feu et les vents forts.• Les pratiques forestières analysées sont la sélection et la préparation des sites de reboisement, la définition de la composition en essences et le choix du matériel génétique, les méthodes de régénération et d’entretien, les modalités d’éclaircie et d’élagage, le mode de récolte finale. L’influence de chacune de ces opérations sur l’occurrence des agents de dégâts biotiques et abiotiques et sur la sensibilité des peuplements est examinée ainsi que les processus écologiques sous-jacents.• Les opérations sylvicoles qui se révèlent les plus déterminantes pour la sensibilité des forêts en Europe sont celles qui affectent la composition et la structure de la strate arborée. Quatre principaux processus écologiques semblent expliquer la relation entre sylviculture et sensibilité des peuplements : la modification du micro-climat, l’apport de ressources ou de combustible aux agents de dégâts, l’amélioration du contrôle biologique par les ennemis naturels et l’altération de la physiologie et du développement des arbres.• Cette revue permet donc d’envisager le développement de méthodes de gestion des peuplements forestiers qui permettent d’atteindre les objectifs de production tout en minimisant les risques de dégâts sanitaires.

Architecture of an Antagonistic Tree/Fungus Network: The Asymmetric Influence of Past Evolutionary History

Background Compartmentalization and nestedness are common patterns in ecological networks. The aim of this study was to elucidate some of the processes shaping these patterns in a well resolved network of host/pathogen interactions. Methology/Principal Findings Based on a long-term (1972–2005) survey of forest health at the regional scale (all French forests; 15 million ha), we uncovered an almost fully connected network of 51 tree taxa and 157 parasitic fungal species. Our analyses revealed that the compartmentalization of the network maps out the ancient evolutionary history of seed plants, but not the ancient evolutionary history of fungal species. The very early divergence of the major fungal phyla may account for this asymmetric influence of past evolutionary history. Unlike compartmentalization, nestedness did not reflect any consistent phylogenetic signal. Instead, it seemed to reflect the ecological features of the current species, such as the relative abundance of tree species and the life-history strategies of fungal pathogens. We discussed how the evolution of host range in fungal species may account for the observed nested patterns. Conclusion/Significance Overall, our analyses emphasized how the current complexity of ecological networks results from the diversification of the species and their interactions over evolutionary times. They confirmed that the current architecture of ecological networks is not only dependant on recent ecological processes.

Species diversity and drivers of spread of alien fungi (sensu lato) in Europe with a particular focus on France

A first comprehensive inventory of alien fungi and fungal-like organisms (in Stramenopila) recorded in France since 1800 was established, comprising 227 species, with 64.7% plant pathogens, 29.5% saprotrophic species, 3.5% ectomycorrhizal fungi, 1.3% animal parasites and 0.9% mycopathogenic fungi. Using this and a previously built European dataset, correlates of invasion success in fungi (sensu lato) were investigated, especially for pathogenic species occurring in wild environments (mostly forest tree pathogens). Several common features were demonstrated at the two spatial scales. Some taxonomic/phylogenetic orders were shown to be over-represented in alien fungi and Stramenopila pseudo-fungi, e.g. Peronosporales and to have faster spread, e.g. Erysiphales. Residence time and economic variables, especially imports, were important explaining variables of the levels of invasion. The influence of climatic factors was also suggested.

An evolutionary ecology perspective to address forest pathology challenges of today and tomorrow

Key messageIncreasing human impacts on forests, including unintentional movement of pathogens, climate change, and large-scale intensive plantations, are associated with an unprecedented rate of new diseases. An evolutionary ecology perspective can help address these challenges and provide direction for sustainable forest management.ContextForest pathology has historically relied on an ecological approach to understand and address the practical management of forest diseases. A widening of this perspective to include evolutionary considerations has been increasingly developed in response to the rising rates of genetic change in both pathogen populations and tree populations due to human activities.AimsHere, five topics for which the evolutionary perspective is especially relevant are highlighted.ResultsThe first relates to the evolutionary diversity of fungi and fungal-like organisms, with issues linked to the identification of species and their ecological niches. The second theme deals with the evolutionary processes that allow forest pathogens to adapt to new hosts after introductions or to become more virulent in homogeneous plantations. The third theme presents issues linked to disease resistance in tree breeding programs (e.g., growth-defense trade-offs) and proposes new criteria and methods for more durable resistance. The last two themes are dedicated to the biotic environment of the tree–pathogen system, namely, hyperparasites and tree microbiota, as possible solutions for health management.ConclusionWe conclude by highlighting three major conceptual advances brought by evolutionary biology, i.e., that (i) “not everything is everywhere”, (ii) evolution of pathogen populations can occur on short time scales, and (iii) the tree is a multitrophic community. We further translate these into a framework for immediate policy recommendations and future directions for research.

A Multicriteria Risk Analysis to Evaluate Impacts of Forest Management Alternatives on Forest Health in Europe

Due to climate change, forests are likely to face new hazards, which may require adaptation of our existing silvicultural practices. However, it is difficult to imagine a forest management approach that can simultaneously minimize all risks of damage. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) has been developed to help decision makers choose between actions that require reaching a compromise among criteria of different weights. We adapted this method and produced a multicriteria risk analysis (MCRA) to compare the risk of damage associated with various forest management systems with a range of management intensity. The objective was to evaluate the effect of four forest management alternatives (FMAs) (i.e., close to nature, extensive management with combined objectives, intensive even-aged plantations, and short-rotation forestry for biomass production) on biotic and abiotic risks of damage in eight regional case studies combining three forest biomes (Boreal, Continental, Atlantic) and five tree species (Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus pinaster, Pinus sylvestris, Picea sitchensis, and Picea abies) relevant to wood production in Europe. Specific forest susceptibility to a series of abiotic (wind, fire, and snow) and biotic (insect pests, pathogenic fungi, and mammal herbivores) hazards were defined by expert panels and subsequently weighted by corresponding likelihood. The PROMETHEE ranking method was applied to rank the FMAs from the most to the least at risk. Overall, risk was lower in short-rotation forests designed to produce wood biomass, because of the reduced stand susceptibility to the most damaging hazards. At the opposite end of the management intensity gradient, close-to-nature systems also had low overall risk, due to lower stand value exposed to damage. Intensive even-aged forestry appeared to be subject to the greatest risk, irrespective of tree species and bioclimatic zone. These results seem to be robust as no significant differences in relative ranking of the four FMAs were detected between the combinations of forest biomes and tree species.

Is the Emergence of Dothistroma Needle Blight of Pine in France Caused by the Cryptic Species Dothistroma pini

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) emerged in France in the past 15 years. This disease is induced by two closely related species: Dothistroma septosporum and D. pini. Although both species are currently present in France, only D. septosporum was reported in the past. We investigated whether a recent arrival of D. pini in France could be a cause of the DNB emergence. We analyzed herbarium specimens of pine needles with DNB symptoms using polymerase chain reaction techniques to study the past frequency of D. pini in France. We also determined the present distribution within the country of D. septosporum and D. pini and compared it with the spatial pattern of DNB reported in the Département de la Santé des Forêts (DSF; French forest health monitoring agency) database. Although D. pini was detected on herbarium specimens from 1907 and 1965, it was not frequent in France in the past. Today, it is frequent, although not present throughout the country, being absent from the north and the east. There is no relationship between the D. pini distribution in France and the spatial pattern of DNB reported in the DSF database. Thus, the emergence of DNB in France cannot be explained by a recent arrival of D. pini.

Can Oak Powdery Mildew Severity be Explained by Indirect Effects of Climate on the Composition of the Erysiphe Pathogenic Complex

Coinfection by several pathogens is increasingly recognized as an important feature in the epidemiology and evolution of plant fungal pathogens. Oak mildew is induced by two closely related Erysiphe invasive species (Erysiphe alphitoides and E. quercicola) which differ in their mode of overwintering. We investigated how climate influences the co-occurrence of the two species in oak young stands and whether this is important for the disease epidemiology. We studied the frequency of flag-shoots (i.e., shoots developing from infected buds, usually associated with E. quercicola) in 95 oak regenerations over a 6-year period. Additionally, in 2012 and 2013, the oak mildew severity and the two Erysiphe spp. relative frequencies were determined in both spring and autumn in 51 regenerations and 43 1-year-old plantations of oaks. Both the frequency of flag-shoots and the proportion of Erysiphe lesions with E. quercicola presence were related to climate. We showed that survival of E. quercicola was improved after mild winters, with increase of both the flag-shoot frequency and the proportion of Erysiphe lesions with E. quercicola presence in spring. However, disease severity was not related to any complementarity effect between the two Erysiphe spp. causing oak powdery mildew. By contrast, increased E. alphitoides prevalence in spring was associated with higher oak mildew severity in autumn. Our results point out the critical role of between-season transmission and primary inoculum to explain disease dynamics which could be significant in a climate-warming context.

Host range expansion is density dependent

The realized host range of herbivores is expected to increase with herbivore population density. Theory also predicts that trait similarity and phylogenetic relatedness between native and exotic plants is expected to increase the susceptibility of introduced plants to feeding by native herbivores. Whether the ability of native herbivores to extend their host range to introduced species is density dependent is still unknown. We addressed this question by monitoring pine processionary moth (PPM, Thaumetopoea pityocampa) attacks during nine consecutive years on 41 pine species (8 native and 33 introduced) planted in an arboretum. The survey encompassed latent and outbreak periods. A total of 28 pine species were attacked by PPM. There was no difference in the probability of attack between native and introduced pine species. Host range increased and was more phylogenetically clustered during outbreak than latent periods. When population density increased, PPM expanded its diet breadth by attacking introduced pine species that were closely related to native hosts. This study demonstrates the density dependence of host range expansion in a common pine herbivore. Importantly, it supports the idea that the degree of phylogenetic proximity between host species can be a better predictor of attacks than the introduction status, which may help to predict the outcomes of new plant–herbivore interactions.