Ecological and phytopathological status of birch stands on the territory of Krasnoyarsk group of districts

• Published in: Сибирский лесной журнал
• Main Authors: A. I. Tatarintsev, L. N. Skripalshcikova
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch Publishing House 2015
• Subjects: birch stands; tree stand status; recreational impact; technogenic pollution; pathogenic consorts; bacterial dropsy; rot diseases; Forestry; SD1-669.5; taiga; Siberia
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15372/SJFS20150201; https://doaj.org/article/2cde0aa2b7634625a660d435f15fa7ef

According to inspection data, the health and vital status of birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stands in Krasnoyarsk group of lands (southern part of Central Siberia) were estimated (established) as satisfactory in general; about half of birch stands near urbanized areas were weakened. The condition of stands decreased significantly with increased recreation use, the effect of technogenic pollution was negligible. The most valuable (important) representatives of pathogenic biota identified on birch trees were infestations of necrotic cancer and rot diseases. In birch stands the bacterial dropsy was found to be widespread (agent of infection – Erwinia multivora Scz.-Parf), occurrence of the disease ranged from a single ill tree up to 10–38 % of the stands. The birch stands in taiga areas were affected to a greater extent than in forest-steppe; there were high yield class stands on moist soils. Prevalence of bacteriosis rose with increasing stand age and density and not dependent on recreation use level. Trees with dropsy are dead in fact or potentially. In taiga birch forests the infection and rot of roots was caused by honey agaric (Armillaria mellea sensu lato), that lead to single or, rarely, group tree drying and the fungus usually eliminated already weakened trees. Wood biomass was destroyed by complex of aphyllophorous Hymenomycetes, their hemiparasitic species caused stem rots that decreased stand marketability and also resulted in rot-realated wind-break accumulation. Occurrence of rot was significantly higher in second growth birch stands, possibly above 20 %; the relationship between rot prevalence and forest assessment was not revealed.