Impact and Disease Centre Characteristics of Phytophthora cinnamomi Infestations of Banksia Woodlands on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia

1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
BL Shearer ◽  
M Dillon

Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands was isolated from either dead plants or soil at 46 disease centres in Banksia woodland at national parks and reserves on the Swan Coastal Plain. Phytophthora cryptogea Pethybridge & Lafferty was also isolated from roots of dead Acacia pulchella R.Br. in one disease centre infected with P. cinnamomi. Dead plants were infected with Armillaria luteobubalina Watling & Kile in four disease centres on the Spearwood Dune System, and these centres were excluded from further analysis. Phytophthora cinnamomi diseased areas ranged from 0.01 to 30 ha in size (mean 1.6 ± s.e. 0.7 ha). The total area infested for the 46 disease centres was 71.5 ha. Impact of P. cinnamomi was high in 17% of disease centres and low in 11% of disease centres. Age of plant death was a mixture of old and recent in 85% of disease centres. Mainly old deaths occurred in only 4% of disease centres. The proportion of species dying in infested areas varied between 10-64% (mean 28 ± s.e. 2%) and was positively correlated with impact type. It was found that infestation decreased species number; on average, there were seven fewer species in infested compared to non-infested areas. Four plant species associated with moist sandy sites tended to occur more frequently in centres of high impact than by chance alone. Occurrence of P. cinnamomi was related to soil association with soils of 60% of the disease centres belonging to the Bassendean or Southern River associations of the Bassendean Dune System. Sixteen percent of disease centres occurred in the Cannington, Guildford and Serpentine River associations of the Pinjarra Plain. No disease centres of P. cinnamomi were found on soils of the Speanvood and Quindalup Dune Systems. A water table was found within 3 m of the soil surface in 48% of the centres. Disturbance was associated with all disease centres. Firebreaks were associated with 72% of disease centres. Banksia woodland remnants on the Bassendean Dune System and the Pinjarra Plain are highly vulnerable to infection by P. cinnamomi and their conservation requires control of existing infestatinns and protection from introduction af the pathogen.

1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 433 ◽  
Author(s):  
BL Shearer ◽  
M Dillon

Estimates of the susceptibility of plant species in Banksia woodland to Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands were obtained by determining the incidence of plant death and frequency of isolation of the pathogen, among species occurring in 46 disease centres on the Swan Coastal Plain south of Perth, Western Australia. In the disease centres, dicotyledons outnumbered monocotyledons. About half of all species occurring in the disease centres were from four families of dicotyledons, with the largest number of species from the Myrtaceae, Proteaceae and Papilionaceae. The greatest number of species of monocotyledons were from the Anthericaceae and Cyperaceae. No deaths were recorded for 47% of species found in three or more disease centres. These species were mainly from the Cyperaceae, Haemodoraceae, Myrtaceae and Papilionaceae. The species that tended to die frequently in disease centres were mainly from the Papilionaceae, Proteaceae, Epacridaceae, Xanthorrhoeaceae and the Zamiaceae. Phytophthora cinnamomi was isolated from 26 of the 95 species occurring in three or more disease centres. For most species, the frequency of isolation of P. cinnamomi from recently dead plants was much less than the frequency of dead plants sampled. Isolation from plants was less frequent than from adjacent soil. The pathogen was isolated from recently dead plants or soil mainly for species of the Proteaceae, Myrtaceae, Papilionaceae, Dasypogonaceae, Iridaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae. Cross-tabulation of species by incidence of plant death and isolation of P. cinnamomi from plant and soil, provided the opportunity to classify the response of plant species to infection by P. cinnamomi.


1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 725 ◽  
Author(s):  
TCJ Hill ◽  
JT Tippett ◽  
BL Shearer

The rate and mechanism of the spread of Phytophthora cinnamomi in Banksia woodland of the Bassendean Dune system north of Perth, Western Australia was studied. Aerial photographs were used to measure the spread of disease in fronts longer than 5 km over 35 years. Fronts in upper slope positions moved downhill and uphill at 1.01 and 1.13 m year-1, respectively, while fronts in low-lying positions moved downgrade and upgrade (with and against the direction of water table flow) at 1.30 and 1.20 m year-1, respectively. Fronts in low-lying areas spread significantly faster than those on upper slopes. Excavations to 2 m depth of the root systems of 21 dying plants of Banksia attenuata R.Br., an overstorey co-dominant, revealed that 28% (3.9 roots/tree) of all first-order roots were infected. Assessment of the proportion of roots infected revealed a significant (P < 0.01) departure from uniform distribution of disease down the profile in both upper slope and drained flat sites. In 14 trees on dune slopes, 6-40 m above the aquifer, infection rate was higher than expected in roots lying at 21-40 cm depth, but lower than expected in roots below 1 m. Seventy three percent of infected roots lay in the top 40 cm of soil. In seven trees on a drained flat, 2-3 m above the aquifer, infection rate was high in the 21-60 cm horizon and also in roots below 1 m. Even though Phytophthora cinnamomi was active in the vicinity of the water table in trees on drained flats, the slow, steady spread of the disease in all landscape positions suggested that the primary mode of fungal invasion was through roots of susceptible vegetation. No evidence was found of accelerated spread of disease caused by the dispersal of zoospores.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 198 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. How ◽  
J. Dell

Ground vertebrates were surveyed on 34 vegetation remnants on the Swan Coastal Plain within the Perth metropolitan area. The remnants ranged from one hectare to nearly 340 ha and were sampled for at least 50 days during the year using pitfall traps. Six remnants were sampled in two or more successive years. Seven native, non-volant mammal, six introduced mammal, 11 amphibian and 43 reptile species were recorded. Native mammals are the most disadvantaged vertebrates in urban remnants with few species surviving the effects of long-term fragmentation. The herpetofauna is less affected, although snakes are generally rare. Marked annual variation occurred in lizard assemblages recorded on remnants sampled over consecutive years. On average, these remnants had a similarity in species composition of only 77% between years. Small remnants are important for conservation of reptile assemblages and there is a strong correlation between remnant area and species number for all reptile groups, except skinks. Remnants as small as one hectare retain viable populations of many reptiles, but need active management to exclude fire and predation. Regional biogeographic patterns are apparent in reptiles. Subregional patterns on the Swan Coastal Plain are associated with different soil types and the Swan River also creates a barrier across landforms. The diversity of reptile assemblages and variation in species trophic patterns indicate that many elements of the original food chain continue to operate in these urban environments.


2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Stämpfli ◽  
Chandra A. Madramootoo

Abstract Recent studies have shown subirrigation (SI) to be effective in reducing nitrate losses from agricultural tile drainage systems. A field study was conducted from 2001 to 2002 in southwestern Québec to evaluate the effect of SI on total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) losses in tile drainage. In an agricultural field with drains installed at a 1-m depth, a SI system with a design water table depth (WTD) of 0.6 m below the soil surface was compared with conventional free drainage (FD). Subirrigation increased drainage outflow volumes in the autumn, when drains were opened and water table control was interrupted for the winter in the SI plots. Outflows were otherwise similar for both treatments. Throughout the study, the TDP concentrations in tile drainage were significantly higher with SI than with FD for seven out of 17 of the sampling dates for which data could be analyzed statistically, and they were never found to be lower for plots under SI than for plots under FD. Of the seven dates for which the increase was significant, six fell in the period during which water table control was not implemented (27 September 2001 to 24 June 2002). Hence, it appears that SI tended to increase TDP concentrations compared with FD, and that it also had a residual effect between growing seasons. Almost one-third of all samples from the plots under SI exceeded Québec's surface water quality standard (0.03 mg TDP L-1), whereas concentrations in plots under FD were all below the standard. Possible causes of the increase in TDP concentrations in tile drainage with SI are high TDP concentrations found in the well water used for SI and a higher P solubility caused by the shallow water table.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 961
Author(s):  
Meryem Touzani ◽  
Ismail Mohsine ◽  
Jamila Ouardi ◽  
Ilias Kacimi ◽  
Moad Morarech ◽  
...  

The main landfill in the city of Rabat (Morocco) is based on sandy material containing the shallow Mio-Pliocene aquifer. The presence of a pollution plume is likely, but its extent is not known. Measurements of spontaneous potential (SP) from the soil surface were cross-referenced with direct measurements of the water table and leachates (pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity) according to the available accesses, as well as with an analysis of the landscape and the water table flows. With a few precautions during data acquisition on this resistive terrain, the results made it possible to separate the electrokinetic (~30%) and electrochemical (~70%) components responsible for the range of potentials observed (70 mV). The plume is detected in the hydrogeological downstream of the discharge, but is captured by the natural drainage network and does not extend further under the hills.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sookyung Shin ◽  
Jung-Hyun Kim ◽  
Ji-Hee Dang ◽  
In-Soon Seo ◽  
Byoung Yoon Lee

AbstractThe climate is changing rapidly, and this may pose a major threat to global biodiversity. One of the most distinctive consequences of climate change is the poleward and/or upward shift of species distribution ranges associated with increasing temperatures, resulting in a change of species composition and community structure in the forest ecosystems. The Baekdudaegan mountain range connects most forests from the lowland to the subalpine zone in South Korea and is therefore recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. This study was conducted to understand the distribution range of vascular plants along elevational gradients through field surveys in the six national parks of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. We identified the upper and lower distribution limits of a total of 873 taxa of vascular plants with 117 families, 418 genera, 793 species, 14 subspecies, 62 varieties, two forms, and two hybrids. A total of 12 conifers were recorded along the elevational gradient. The distribution ranges of Abies koreana, Picea jezoensis, Pinus pumila, and Thuja koraiensis were limited to over 1000 m above sea level. We also identified 21 broad-leaved trees in the subalpine zone. A total of 45 Korean endemic plant species were observed, and of these, 15 taxa (including Aconitum chiisanense and Hanabusaya asiatica) showed a narrow distribution range in the subalpine zone. Our study provides valuable information on the current elevational distribution ranges of vascular plants in the six national parks of South Korea, which could serve as a baseline for vertical shifts under future climate change.


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