Towards silvicultural mitigation of the European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) dieback: the importance of acclimated trees in retention forestry

Abstract

The European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) dieback is an acute forest pathology problem caused by the invasive ascomycete Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (T. Kowalski) Baral, Queloz, Hosoya. There are no practical solutions yet, but selection for resistant genotypes and intensive care have been highlighted as options. Our aim was to assess the disease mitigation potential of silvicultural harvests, which influence stress levels in retained trees. We annually monitored 577 retention trees on Estonian cut areas for 13 years, including 9 years impacted by the dieback. Sixty-five percent of the trees survived and 15% retained healthy crown, despite all sampled trees being infected. The damage was smallest in the trees retained near precut edges. Former forest-interior trees that were left in central parts of the cut areas suffered high initial damage but smaller disease progression than trees near postcut edges. Tree size and secondary infection by Armillaria spp. were not related to disease progression, but rapid decline was observed in the region with the highest density of ash trees retained. Our results indicate a significant silvicultural potential for tree resistance. Ash trees tend to be healthiest in open conditions, which probably inhibit the pathogen and provide better resources for the tree. Location near precut edges is an important tree retention criterion, which can mitigate initial harvest-induced stress.