How does a common plant pathogen affect urban trees, and how should it be managed?

Trees are important to the environmental health of cities through their capacity to improve air quality, provide cooling via shade and transpiration, and foster natural beauty. New research in Plant-Environment Interactions reveals how the widespread plant pathogen Phytophthora affects urban trees, specifically Common Lime trees.

Using numerous tree sensors, investigators found that infected trees exhibited reduced water use and stem growth compared with healthy trees, but some still managed to maintain growth and cooling benefits.

The findings highlight the complexity that tree managers and policy makers must consider when attempting to control disease spread while maintaining the benefits of trees in cities. There are potential trade-offs to consider when weighing tree removal to limit disease spread against the benefits provided by well-functioning diseased trees, particularly large-stature, mature trees that have the greatest capacity to enrich urban areas.

“The impact of Phytophthora disease on the studied street trees was variable, even under extreme heat events that occurred in the UK in 2022, highlighting possible tensions between tree disease management and ecosystem service provision,” said corresponding author Eleanor Absalom, PhD, of the University of Sheffield, in the UK. “Given the growing threats of disease outbreaks and climate change, a better understanding of the impact of Phytophthora on urban trees is critical to maintain resilient urban forests.”

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pei3.70054

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Plant-Environment Interactions is a broad spectrum, open access journal welcoming all plant research, emphasizing that every plant process ultimately enables it to grow in, and interact with, our wider environment. We are author friendly and offer a fast and efficient route to the publication of sound research from right across the molecular, ecological and environmental science communities, including plants and people. Our journal is global in scope and particularly broad and wide ranging in scale, covering everything from plant cell and molecular biology, including development and physiology, through ecology and environmental change, to society and conservation.

About Wiley      
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.