Article: Forest Pathology

Phytophthora× alni and Phytophthora lacustris associated with common alder decline in Central Portugal M Kanoun‐Boulé, T Vasconcelos, J Gaspar, S Vieira, C Dias‐Ferreira, …Forest Pathology

Summary

Since the early 1990s, an emerging disease induced by the highly aggressive oomycete Phytophthora ×alni has caused widespread alder decline across Europe. In parallel, P. lacustris, a recently described species associated with riparian habitats, has been subject of increasing interest. A field survey conducted in 2014 showed high mortality rates in alder stands located in the riparian gallery along two rivers in Central Portugal. The pathogens isolated from necrotic alder stem base during this study were identified as P. ×alni and P. lacustris. This paper is the first to report the occurrence of P. lacustris in Portugal and presents the first finding of P. ×alni affecting mature trees in natural ecosystems located in Central Portugal.