Extreme cold temperatures and survival of overwintering and germinated Arceuthobium americanum seeds

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
J P Brandt ◽  
Y Hiratsuka ◽  
D J Pluth

Lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm.) is one of the most damaging pathogens of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) in western Canada. Jack pine forests in the colder, more northerly areas, however, are free of dwarf mistletoe, suggesting that the pathogen is limited by low temperature. The effect of extreme cold temperatures on germination rates of overwintering dwarf mistletoe seeds and survival of dwarf mistletoe germinants was evaluated. Germinative ability of overwintering seeds increased with increasing temperatures between –39 and –35 °C, regardless of seed source. Exposure period also strongly influenced germination rates. Exposure to temperatures near –38, –46, or –53 °C for 96 or 144 h was almost always lethal. At –37 °C, germination was greater after 48 h than after 96 h, although it was still significantly lower than in the controls. Temperatures down to –6 °C in late spring did not reduce germinant survival. Overall, these results may explain the absence of dwarf mistletoe from northern areas commonly exposed to periods in winter with minimum temperatures below about –40 °C. These areas are potentially at risk from the pathogen if the climate of Canada's northern interior continues to warm as it has over the last several decades.

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1006-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
J P Brandt

While lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe, Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm., is one of the most damaging pests of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) in western Canada, no studies have examined the life cycle of this parasite in this pathosystem. Twenty-five jack pine trees in a plantation in Edmonton, Alberta, were inoculated with seeds of A. americanum in the fall of 1998 and 1999; these inoculants were monitored until the dwarf mistletoe plants that arose completed their life cycle. Ninety-two percent of inoculated seeds overwintered on their host. Seventy percent of these seeds germinated, mostly in May. Of these germinants, 69% developed holdfasts. Sixty-eight percent of germinants that developed holdfasts infected their host and produced shoots, primarily between July and August in the second season after inoculation. Of the 56 plants that developed from the 175 inoculations, 34 were pistillate plants and 19 were staminate plants, and 3 immature plants died because the host branch died. Pistillate plants flowered significantly earlier than staminate plants (4.1 vs. 4.7 years). Most pistillate plants produced seed in the fifth year, although one plant produced seed in 4 years. Thus, A. americanum probably has a 5-year life cycle on jack pine.


2004 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brock Epp ◽  
Jacques C. Tardif

The Lodgepole Pine Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm.) is an important pathogen of Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). Dwarf Mistletoe alters tree form, suppresses growth, and reduces volume and overall wood quality of its host. Stem analysis and a 3-parameter logistic regression model were used to compare the growth of heavily and lightly to non infected Jack Pine trees. At the time of sampling, no significant reduction in diameter at breast height and basal area were observed in heavily infected trees. However, a significant reduction in height and volume and an increase in taper were observed in heavily infected trees. Growth models predicted a 21.1% lower basal area, 23.4% lower height and 42.1% lower volume by age 60 for the high infection group.


2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (10) ◽  
pp. 1039-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
J P Brandt ◽  
Y Hiratsuka ◽  
D J Pluth

Lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm.) is a serious pest of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). Research investigating factors such as host resistance, influence of host nutrition on infection rates, and effect of temperature and humidity on the life cycle of the pathogen is limited by our ability to consistently infect the host through artificial means. A greenhouse experiment utilizing a completely randomized design with four replicates was conducted to test the effectiveness of three chemical compounds and the natural viscin of the dwarf mistletoe seed to act as adhesives during artificial inoculation of jack pine seedlings. Synthetic adhesives used were anhydrous lanolin (LAN), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), and polyvinyl acetate (PVA). The percentage of infected seedlings was significantly higher with HPC compared with that of PVA, LAN, and the seed's viscin. HPC, as the superior adhesive, and the techniques described should allow consistent production of seedlings infected with dwarf mistletoe for research, regardless of the dwarf mistletoe species involved. Problems encountered during the testing of the adhesives are discussed in relation to the nature of the adhesives and their application.Key words: anhydrous lanolin, hydroxypropylcellulose, polyvinyl acetate, viscin.


2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 521-527
Author(s):  
D E Robinson ◽  
D Punter

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that infection of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) by jack pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm.) increases with increasing tree age and decreases with increasing tissue age. One-, 2-, and 3-year-old tissues of 3-, 5-, and 7- year-old jack pines and 1-, 4- and 8-year-old tissues of 12-, 17-, and 22-year-old jack pines in Belair Provincial Forest were inoculated with seed of A. americanum in September of 1992 (year 1) and 1993 (year 2). Overwinter and postwinter seed removal, fungal and insect damage, and infection success were monitored from the time of inoculation to harvesting of inoculated branches. In years 1 and 2, overwinter seed displacement was 12.2 and 30.6%, while postwinter loss was 28.8 and 22.2%, respectively. Seed germination ranged from 14.3 to 38.1% and from 3.1 to 17.5%, respectively, in years 1 and 2. Infection success varied from 2.0 to 35.0% (year 1) and from 0.0 to 13.0% (year 2). Lower mean daily temperatures in January and February (p < 0.001) were hypothesized to have killed more seeds and thereby reduced infection success in year 2. Infection success did not increase with increasing tree age (year 1: p = 0.188; year 2: p = 0.807) in either year of the study. Infection success increased with increasing tissue age in year 1 (p < 0.001) but not in year 2 (p = 0.358). We rejected the hypotheses that susceptibility to infection by A. americanum increases with increasing tree age or decreases with increasing tissue age of jack pine. Infection success appears to be primarily dependent upon seed displacement caused by wind, snow, or rain.Key words: jack pine, dwarf mistletoe, infectivity, juvenile resistance, seed displacement.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 370
Author(s):  
Holly D. Deighton ◽  
Frederick Wayne Bell ◽  
Nelson Thiffault ◽  
Eric B. Searle ◽  
Mathew Leitch ◽  
...  

We assessed 27 indicators of plant diversity, stand yield and individual crop tree responses 25 years post-treatment to determine long-term trade-offs among conifer release treatments in boreal and sub-boreal forests. This research addresses the lack of longer-term data needed by forest managers to implement more integrated vegetation management programs, supporting more informed decisions about release treatment choice. Four treatments (untreated control, motor-manual brushsaw, single aerial spray, and complete competition removal) were established at two jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) sites in Ontario, Canada. Our results suggest that plant diversity and productivity in boreal jack pine forests are significantly influenced by vegetation management treatments. Overall, release treatments did not cause a loss of diversity but benefitted stand-scale yield and individual crop tree growth, with maximum benefits occurring in more intensive release treatments. However, none of the treatments maximized all 27 indicators studied; thus, forest managers are faced with trade-offs when choosing treatments. Research on longer term effects, ideally through at least one rotation, is essential to fully understand outcomes of different vegetation management on forest diversity, stand yield, and individual crop tree responses.


1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannie Gilbert ◽  
David Punter

Pollen of Arceuthobium americanum Nuttall ex Engelmann, a parasitic dwarf mistletoe of Pinus banksiana Lamb, in Manitoba, was germinated on media containing a range of concentrations of sucrose and salts. Highest germination levels occurred on 20% sucrose agar; addition of salts significantly depressed germination. Pollen germinability was below 5% at first but increased to near 50% as the season advanced. Mean germination differed significantly between flowers from 10 staminate plants but peaked at approximately the same times in association with increasing temperatures. Freezing night temperatures were followed by reduced germinability. The optimum temperature for in vitro pollen germination is close to 30 °C, whereas 40 °C impairs germination. Key words: parasitic angiosperms, microclimate, jack pine, reproductive biology.


1971 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. H. Tainter ◽  
D. W. French

Formation of wound periderm appears to be a common form of resistance reaction in the Arceuthobium pusillum – Larix laricina combination, based on previous observations and an extensive examination of two witches' brooms of this host. Not only is wound periderm common in spur shoots within witches' brooms, but it also apparently restricts the development of the endophytic system in branchlets composing witches' brooms. Branchlets within witches' brooms of Pinus banksiana infected with A. pusillum and A. americanum also produced wound periderm similar to that described in eastern larch, which may account for the relative scarcity of aerial shoots on this host and restricted development of the endophytic system.


2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trent G. Thompson ◽  
David E. Rothstein

Abstract Because of the long time periods involved, empirical data on the effects of preceding stand age on nutrient availability in the succeeding stand are scarce. We took advantage of a unique management situation in the jack pine forests of northern Lower Michigan to assess the effects of preceding stand age (24‐76 years) on postharvest soil nutrient availability. We found that potentially mineralizable nitrogen (N) and extractable phosphorus (P) increased with increasing age of the preceding stand. In contrast, we observed no response of total organic carbon (C) and N or extractable base cations to preceding stand age. Together, our results demonstrate that harvesting these forests at younger ages results in decreased availability of N and P immediately following harvest.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document