Biology and pathology of Ribes and their implications for management of white pine blister rust

Abstract

Summary Ribes (currants and gooseberries) are telial hosts for the introduced and invasive white pine blister rust fungus, Cronartium ribicola. Knowledge of wild and introduced Ribes helps us understand the epidemiology of blister rust on its aecial hosts, white pines, and develop disease control and management strategies. Ribes differ by species in their contribution to initial establishment and subsequent intensification of blister rust. Their significance to pine infection depends on their inherent capacities to become infected and support spore production, their abundance and environmental interactions. Ribes and white pines are adapted to disturbance and frequently co‐occur in forest and woodland ecosystems. Differences in light and moisture requirements affect how long various species of Ribes occupy a site. Natural or artificial selection increases rust resistance in white pines, Ribes, and other host genera; but selection also affects virulence and aggressiveness of C. ribicola. Blister rust pathosystems evolve. Local pathosystems wherein the rust and its hosts coexist with reduced damage could arise by several processes.

Modeling Effects of Climate Change and Fire Management on Western White Pine (Pinus monticola) in the Northern Rocky Mountains, USA

“…Regeneration potential of these stands is considered limited, as remaining trees are widely scattered and genetic resistance to white pine blister rust is relatively low [38]. Early attempts to mitigate blister rust infection on white pines focused on eradication of shrubs of the genus Ribes (currants and gooseberries), the alternate and telial host for C. ribicola (for a thorough discussion of Ribes ecology and blister rust pathology see [48]). These efforts were abandoned in the 1960s in favor of current management strategies including conservation of heritable resistance traits, identification and protection of resistant trees, development of focused nursery breeding programs to increase resistance, outplanting of rust resistant stock, biological and chemical rust controls, silvilcultural practices designed to minimize Ribes germination, and removal of infected host trees or blister rust cankers [40,43].…”

Limber Pine Regeneration and White Pine Blister Rust in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains

“…Aeciospores produced on pines are durable and can occasionally be windblown several hundred kilometers via atmospheric transport to infect alternate hosts' leaves (Frank et al 2008). Infective, less durable basidiospores produced in late summer to autumn on the leaves of the alternate hosts may be windblown up to 27 km to the susceptible pines (Zambino 2010). Mountain pine beetle does not directly affect seedlings since the native bark beetle prefers larger diameter trees (Safranyik and Carroll 2006), but mortality of seed-producing trees may limit seed availability for reproduction.…”

Preserving Ecosystem Services on Indigenous Territory through Restoration and Management of a Cultural Keystone Species

“…Blister rust could be problematic in hydric sites because of higher abundance of Ribes spp. (currant and gooseberries) that serve as alternative hosts for this pathogen [36,37]. Damage due to the white pine cone beetle (Conophthorus coniperda (Schwarz)) and Armillaria root disease were also reported in the Lake States [38][39][40][41], but not in the study area.…”

“…can threaten restoration success, their abundance within a stand is not always correlated with local rust damage because the spores can be dispersed over long distances [61]. Past efforts to control Ribes mostly focused on eradication but were difficult, costly, and ineffective [37]. However, removal of Ribes from plantation sites and their close proximity could reduce the hazard [62].…”