Description:
This one-day workshop will be of use to anyone interested in managing laminated root rot (LRR; caused by the pathogen Phellinus sulphurascens) in urban forests or timber production areas of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. This workshop occurs within the setting of an urban coastal Douglas-fir forest where LRR has been intensively managed for over the past 14 years.
The intent of the workshop is to provide arborists and foresters alike with a comprehensive understanding of:
The most current information on the signs/symptoms of LRR as well as the biology of the causal pathogen, and,
Techniques on how to best detect, assess and manage long-term LRR impacts in the context of different land management situation.
Tree mortality and forest structure impacts associated with LRR are extremely difficult to manage in Douglas-fir forests. Disease sources can persist for decades in the roots of host trees and provide a long-term threat to the health, structure and stability of maturing forests. The activity of this disease that can result in large areas of conifer forest cover shifting to those dominated by brush and deciduous tree species. Inaccurate detection and ineffective management treatments allow disease spread and increase associated impacts over time.
With the spread of LRR occurring on the roots of host tree species, it is it impossible to determine the exact location of infected wood tissues without large-scale soil excavations. The most practical approach to identifying potentially diseased trees and associated disease management areas is to use above-ground signs and tree crown symptoms. Disease signs and symptoms can at times be subtle and quite variable due to numerous, site-related factors including forest age, site history, geographic situation, site moisture/ nutrient conditions, tree species mixes, site disturbances and hazard tree removal activities. The failure to appropriately account for these influences can result in inaccurate disease assessments, unsuccessful management treatments and long-term impacts to forest health and stability.
This all-day workshop has morning lectures in the Rotary Field House of South Surrey Recreation Center complex and afternoon field sessions in the Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest. In-class lectures will cover pathogen biology along with disease detection, assessment and management techniques. This session will also provide background information on the field site and describe the successes and challenges experienced during 14 years of LRR management activities.
The afternoon field session will demonstrate approaches to LRR identification and disease control techniques implemented to date in the area’s coastal Douglas-fir forests. In-depth discussions will be undertaken on the lessons-learned from these disease control measures.
Instructors
Rona N. Sturrock is a Retired Research Scientist of Forest Pathology. She has a BSc from UVIC (1983) and a Master of Pest Management degree from SFU (1989). Rona was with the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), Victoria BC for 30 years (1986-2016). During that time, she conducted research on forest pathogens of nursery-grown coniferous seedlings and helped provide extension services in this area (1986-1988). From 1989 to 1990 she was seconded to a program assisting BC First Nations develop and manage their forest resources. From 1991-2016 Rona conducted research on the Laminated root rot (LRR) fungus, Coniferiporia sulphurascens (synonyms include: Phellinus sulphurascens, Phellinus weirii, Phellinidium weirii and Poria weirii). Rona’s research papers, reports, and guides on LRR cover aspects of disease management, the biology and diversity of C. sulphurascens, and molecular aspects of the C. sulphurascens-Douglas-fir interaction. Rona has also investigated and reported on forest diseases and climate change and on decay of western redcedar. Her publications on this variety of subjects number approximately 60.
Registration:
https://pnwisa.org/event/laminated-root-rot-management-in-urban-forests-2/