Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Silviculture Impacts and Population Genomics of Coniferiporia sulphurascens, the Causal Agent of Laminated Root Rot

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  • Within the Pacific Northwest, USA, root diseases of conifers are a major forest health concern. These diseases are primarily caused by basidiomycete fungi. These fungal associates play a vital role in carbon sequestration but also have a significant negative economic impact within the timber industry. As a result, research on forest management practices to help mitigate root disease has become an important factor within forest health protection. Two closely related fungal species, Coniferiporia sulphurascens, and Coniferiporia weirii, are the primary causal agents of diseases known as laminated root rot (LRR) and butt rot. Three independent studies were conducted to investigate forest management strategies for LRR and to better understand the population dynamics of these two important forest pathogens. The first study used long-term permanent plots at two different study sites to compare the effects of different thinning treatments and alternate host rotations on tree mortality caused by Coniferiporia sulphurascens. At the first study site, three different thinning prescriptions were applied across ca. 160 hectares within the Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon, USA. The second study site evaluated the effects of five hardwood rotation treatments on subsequent growth and mortality of planted Pseudotsuga menziesii across 14 hectares of privately-owned forest in Columbia County. For both study sites the results were used to assess the accuracy of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and the Western Root Disease Model (WRDM). An analysis of variance determined that there was no significant difference on mortality caused by C. sulphurascens among thinning treatments (p = 0.9816). Within the alternate host rotation study, no effect of hardwood rotation on growth or mortality of P. menziesii was detected (p = 0.253 and p = 0.172). The FVS was shown to over predict growth at both the thinning and alternate host study sites. The WRDM was found to predict observed data more accurately. A second study used 64 full genome sequences of C. sulphurascens and a population genomics approach to investigate evolutionary history, population dynamics, and dispersal capabilities of this fungus. The samples originated from five different populations across Oregon and Washington, USA. Results showed more long-distance gene flow and migration between populations than previously reported. In a final study, the full genome of C. weirii was sequenced and annotated to provide a novel draft genome. The total size of the genome was estimated to be 42.2 Mb. The assembly contained 10,351 predicted protein-coding genes. The estimated mean gene length of the predicted genes was 1,911 bp. Results from phylogenomic analysis support C. weirii and C. sulphurascens being closely related as previously determined by other studies.
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