Diseases and Changing Forest
Management in the Midwest -
Red Pine Shoot Blights & Pine Management
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Red Pine Shoot Blights & Pine Management |
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Red pine shoots killed by shoot blights.
Photo by M. Ostry |
The issue
Clearcutting followed by intense fires had degraded the majority
of midwestern pine forests by 1900. Restoration of these degraded
lands resulted in large areas of even-aged single pine species. Many
of the diseases that have had the largest impacts on these pines
were the result of nursery practices that inadvertently spread
damaging disease organisms, some native and some exotic, on the
planting stock. Over the years researchers developed guidelines to
deal with these diseases. However, with the current desire to
develop pine stands of mixed species and ages, some of the previous
diseases and some new ones are now having serious impacts on
management goals. Shoot blights of red pine (Pinus resinosa)
are such diseases. The fungus Sphaeropsis sapinea causes
shoot blight on large trees, shoot blight and cankers on sapling and
pole-size trees, and shoot blight and collar rot on seedlings.
Another fungus, Sirococcus conigenus, causes a shoot blight
that damages or kills red pine seedlings, saplings, and young shoots
on older trees.
What are we doing about it?
We are
working with other scientists and forest managers to study the
interactions of these organisms for developing strategies to
avoid or minimize their damaging effects.
We
are working with a large group of researchers on a study to
determine the effects of retaining mixed species, mixed ages, and
variation in canopy gap size in reducing shoot blight inoculum.
We are
researching the potential role of fire in reducing shoot blight
inoculum with collaborators from Michigan Technological University
and the Forest Service Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry.
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Research products
Ostry,
M.E.; O’Brien, J.; Albers, M. 2002. Disease considerations in red
pine management. In: Gilmore, D.W. and L.S. Yount, eds.
Proceedings of the red pine SAF region V technical conference.
March 26-27. Cloquet Forestry Center, Cloquet, MN, Staff Paper
Series no. 157. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, College of Natural
Resources, Department of Forest Resources:107-111.
Ostry,
Michael E. 2000.
Restoring of
white pine in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
For additional information on this topic, refer
to:
Pokorny,
Jill D. 1998.
Sphaeropsis shoot blight
Haugen,
Linda. 1997.
Biology, symptoms and management of Scleroderris canker
HOW to manage
eastern white pine to minimize damage from blister rust and white
pine weevil
Nicholls,
T.H.; Skilling, D.D. 1990.
Biology and
control of Sirococcus shoot blight on red pine
Nicholls,
Thomas H.; Skilling, Darroll D. 1990.
Pocket guide
to red pine diseases and their management
Our
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