Spread and Harmfulness of Infectious Diseases of the Main Forest-Forming Species in Zhytomyr Polissia of Ukraine

Abstract

Given the multifunctional role of forests, there is an urgent need in forming biologically stable and productive tree stands to obtain the maximum ecological and economic effect for Ukraine in present-day conditions. Therefore, studies of the species composition, spread, pathogenic action, and harmful effects of pathogens of infectious diseases of the main forestforming species in Zhytomyr Polissia of Ukraine allow designing a real phytosanitary situation that will take place in the forests in the coming years and developing timely measures to limit the spread of pathological phenomena, which is the relevant research vector. The purpose of this study is to assess the current phytosanitary state of the forests of the surveyed region and identify abiotic and biotic factors that most contribute to weakening and degradation of forest tree species. This paper uses classical forest inventory and phytopathological methods to establish the general phytosanitary condition of the surveyed forests. Special mycological and microbiological methods were also involved to investigate the aetiology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases pathogens. Currently, the comprehensive sanitary condition of the forests of Zhytomyr Oblast can be described as satisfactory. However, every year there is a slow but steady increase in the dieback of forest areas, specifically the main forest-forming species – pine, oak, ash, and birch. During the examinations, the authors noted typical symptoms of bacteriosis (bacterial dropsy), necrosis (dieback), vascular (graphiosis, tracheomycosis) and other diseases of contradictory aetiology (transverse cancer, dieback), as well as fruit bodies of aphilophoroid macromycetes, which are the causes of stem (pine polypore, birch polypore, false oak polypore, etc.) and root (heterobasidion perennial, honey mushroom) rot were noted. Monitoring of the phytosanitary condition with the allocation of predictors of degradation of forest stands will further allow forming a “global map of plant resilience and sensitivity” for analysis of phytosanitary risk and rapid and rational decision-making on forest protection measures