A dangerous fungal pathogen that poses a serious threat to coniferous forests in the Siberian region has been discovered for the first time in this area.
The information was published in a press release of the Federal Research Center “Krasnoiarsk Scientific Center” of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
A group of researchers from Krasnoyarsk identified the presence of the fungal pathogen in an area where more than half of the area is occupied by forests. Of particular concern is the fact that the strains discovered demonstrate high cold resistance and increased pathogenicity, which significantly expands their potential range of spread.
During the research, scientists isolated three strains of fungi from the wood of affected pines growing in a park in Krasnoyarsk. Laboratory experiments have shown that all isolated strains can spread rapidly and cause extensive necrotic lesions not only in tree tissues but also in fruit pulp. For the evaluation of pathogenicity, the researchers used shoots of Scots pine and apples of the cultivar ‘Granny Smith’.
It is remarkable that this type of fungus was previously found exclusively in regions with a mild climate. However, mycelial freezing experiments at temperatures between -8 and -31 degrees have shown that Siberian strains maintain their viability even after exposure to extremely low temperatures and quickly resume growth when placed on nutrient media .
Julia Litovka, senior researcher at the “VN Sukachiov” Institute of Forestry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, emphasizes that the thermophilic nature of the fungus is no longer an obstacle to its spread. The experiments confirm the possibility of an active expansion of the pathogen in cold climate regions. The situation could worsen due to global warming, which would create additional risks for the forest ecosystems of Siberia.
