Beech Decline in Calabria, Southern Italy : Disease/Environment Interactions in Forest Decline. Proceedings of a Workshop of the Working Party Disease/Environment Interactions in Forest Decline IUFRO 7.02.06, Vienna, Austria, March 16-21, 1998
Cases of beech decline have been reported from the State Forest of Mongiana (V.V.) in Calabria, South Italy. The decline was followed by a mass death of trees and the uprooting of trees growing alone or in small groups. It is fairly frequent in plantations laid out mostly on ex farmland and pastures. The initial symptoms of the decline are yellowing and thinning of the upper part of the crown and stems and branches are attacked by the bark-dwelling coleopter Agrilus italicus. Subsequently there is dieback of the branches with bark necrosis, mainly due to Biscougnauxia (Hypoxylon) nummularia (Bull.; Fr.) O. Kuntze. Frequently still living trees are uprooted and show root rot, especially of the taproot, as well as a yellow wood rot. From these rots the fungus Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. is easily isolated. On some of the felled trees the area colonised by H. annosum at collar-level was surrounded by a dark band sometimes associated with white rot. From all these affected areas Xylaria sp. was also frequently isolated. Research is going on: 1. to determine the role that the various mycetes isolated have in beech decline; 2. to ascertain the succession of the various fungi on the roots and the stems, 3. to study the ecological factors that may help to bring about the decline.
