Pine pitch canker
Encyclopedia
Pine pitch canker is a virulent and incurable fungal disease of pine trees caused by the fungus Fusarium circinatum
.
Infected trees may exhibit a number of symptoms, including the appearance of canker
: small areas of dead tissue which grow slowly, often over a period of years. Additional symptoms include discoloration on the branches, trunk and exposed roots. The fungus infects branches from the tips down, turning needles brown, and creates a flow of amber pitch that runs down the trunk.
's counties from Mendocino to San Diego. Scientists fear that the disease will spread to the Sierra Nevada, Coast
, and Cascade
mountain ranges.
The disease threatens to destroy 85% of the native Monterey pine
forests by 2015. The fungus is transmitted by bark, cone and twig beetles whose dispersal may carry the disease to new locations.
At this time, pine pitch canker cannot be eradicated. Officials in California have recommended that people avoid transporting infected trees or firewood from their region of origin, sterilize pruning tools with bleach before and after pruning operations, chip and spread or burn infected plant material, avoid using Monterey pines for landscape plantings, and report new occurrences of pitch canker to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
.
, coulter pine
, and Douglas-fir
.
Fusarium circinatum
Fusarium circinatum is a fungal plant pathogen that causes the serious disease pitch canker on pine trees. Like other Fusarium species in the phylum Ascomycota, it is the asexual reproductive state of the fungus and has a teleomorph, Gibberella circinata.-Distribution:This fungus is believed to...
.
Infected trees may exhibit a number of symptoms, including the appearance of canker
Canker
Canker and anthracnose are general terms for a large number of different plant diseases, characterised by broadly similar symptoms including the appearance of small areas of dead tissue, which grow slowly, often over a period of years. Some are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately...
: small areas of dead tissue which grow slowly, often over a period of years. Additional symptoms include discoloration on the branches, trunk and exposed roots. The fungus infects branches from the tips down, turning needles brown, and creates a flow of amber pitch that runs down the trunk.
Background
"Pitch canker" is now found in seventeen of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's counties from Mendocino to San Diego. Scientists fear that the disease will spread to the Sierra Nevada, Coast
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
, and Cascade
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
mountain ranges.
The disease threatens to destroy 85% of the native Monterey pine
Monterey Pine
The Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata, family Pinaceae, also known as the Insignis Pine or Radiata Pine is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California....
forests by 2015. The fungus is transmitted by bark, cone and twig beetles whose dispersal may carry the disease to new locations.
At this time, pine pitch canker cannot be eradicated. Officials in California have recommended that people avoid transporting infected trees or firewood from their region of origin, sterilize pruning tools with bleach before and after pruning operations, chip and spread or burn infected plant material, avoid using Monterey pines for landscape plantings, and report new occurrences of pitch canker to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is the State of California's agency responsible for fire protection in State Responsibility Areas of California as well as the administration of the state's private and public forests. It is often referred to as The California Department of...
.
Species affected
Although Monterey pines are the most susceptible, pitch canker has also been found in eight other pine species, including torrey pineTorrey Pine
The Torrey Pine, Pinus torreyana, is the rarest pine species in the United States, an endangered species growing only in San Diego County and on one of the Channel Islands, endemic to the coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion in the U.S...
, coulter pine
Coulter Pine
The Coulter Pine or Big-cone Pine is a native of the coastal mountains of southern California and northern Baja California . Isolated groves are found as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area in Mt. Diablo State Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve...
, and Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
.