Abstract
Appalachian forests are threatened by a number of factors, especially introduced pests and pathogens. Among these is Phytophthora cinnamomi, a soil-borne oomycete pathogen known to cause root rot in American chestnut, shortleaf pine, and other native tree species. This study was initiated to characterize the incidence of P. cinnamomi on surface mined lands in eastern Kentucky, USA, representing a range of time since reclamation (10, 12, 15, and 20 years since reclamation). Incidence of P. cinnamomi was correlated to soil properties including overall soil development, as indicated by a variety of measured soil physical and chemical parameters, especially the accumulation of soil organic carbon. P. cinnamomi was detected in only two of the four sites studied, aged 15 and 20 years since reclamation. These sites were generally characterized by higher organic matter accumulation than the younger sites in which P. cinnamomi was not detected. These results demonstrate that P. cinnamomi is capable of colonizing reclaimed mine sites in Appalachia; additional research is necessary to determine the impact of P. cinnamomi on susceptible tree species at these sites.
Highlights
Appalachian forests are threatened by many stressors, including climate change [1,2], land use change [3,4,5], and invasive pests and pathogens [6,7]
This shift in particle size distribution toward a dominance of silt may be related to increasing trends in concentrations of some of the metal analytes evaluated in this study (e.g., Al, Fe, Mg, and Ca, Table 1)
Follow-up studies will be required to assess whether P. cinnamomi will eventually colonize the 10- and 12-year old sites screened in this study in which P. cinnamomi was not detected. These data suggest that site quality at FRA-reclaimed mine sites is sufficient by 15 years after reclamation for colonization by P. cinnamomi
Summary
Appalachian forests are threatened by many stressors, including climate change [1,2], land use change [3,4,5], and invasive pests and pathogens [6,7]. American chestnut was once a dominant canopy species throughout the Appalachian region, which includes the states of West Virginia and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South. Composing 50% or more of the forest canopy over much of its range, American chestnut was functionally eliminated from eastern forests in only a few decades in the early 1900’s by the introduced fungal pathogen causing chestnut blight, Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr [7,9,10]. Thanks to breeding targeted at introducing resistance genes from blight-resistant
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