Annosus Root Disease Leaflet

Rylan Makortoff

Annosus root disease (Heterobasidion annosum) occurs in temperate zones

throughout temperate zones throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Locally,
Annosus root disease can be found throughout B.C., particularly in the CWH, CDF,
and ICH biogeoclimatic zones. It is considered to be the most economically
important forest pathogen in the Northern Hemisphere. Heterobasidion annosum
is widespread in forests in the United States and is responsible for the loss of one
billion U.S. dollars annually.
Hosts & Damage

There are two forms of Annosus root disease: the s-type which affects only
conifers, and the p-type which infects conifers and broadleaf trees. The s-type is
only form identified in B.C. at this time. Tsugal heterophylla, Abies amabilis, and
Picea sitchensis are highly susceptible. Secondary hosts include Thuja plicata,
Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Pinus contorta. Broadleaf species are immune.

Heterobasidion Annosum is able to kill trees of all ages but usually appears as a
butt rot on older trees. Juvenile trees tend to be suppressed and die quickly.
Older trees tend to suffer extreme amounts of butt rot, significantly improving
chances of insect attack or wind-throw.

True firs suffer direct mortality; butt rot and by extension a reduction in
merchantable volume. They also see increased chances of weather damage and
insect attacks. Activity of fir engraver beetles (Scolytus ventralis) is closely
associated with occurrence of root disease in firs.

Pine trees tend to suffer the greatest amount of impact on stands that have poor,
dry site conditions. Decreases in site productivity, vegetation cover, and the risk
of tree failure in parks and campgrounds are an effect of Annosus root disease in
pine.

Damage in infected Hemlocks can be seen as decay in the roots and the lower
butt, but can be more prevalent in the stems of older trees. Hemlocks are rarely
killed outright by Annosus root disease, unless the trees are broken or
windthrown. Decay is a common association with wounds in the tree.

Ecology and Life Cycle

There are two main ways Heterobasidion annosum can spread to a new host:
through Basidospores, the primary infected propagules, that are released in the
summertime and carried by wind currents over long distances that fall on wounds
of trees, freshly fallen trees, or open stumps. These propagules then colonize and
move into the roots through mycelium. The disease then grows and spreads
within and along the root surface. Secondly, if infected roots come in contact with
healthy roots of another tree, Heterobasidion annosum hyphae can grow across
the contact into the healthy root and continue spreading along the new tree’s
root surface, and can start growing on the surface, moving through the phloem
and xylem, thus increasing the infection rate within a stand. The fungus can
persist in resinous tree species for several decades with the fungus in non-
resinous species having a shorter lifespan.

Signs and Symptoms

Some symptoms include chlorotic, thinning foliage, distress cones, and reduced
tree growth although more than half the tree may be dead before any symptoms
appear. The bark changes colour as the fungus stages increase, going from pale
yellow to a crusty light brown, and in advanced stages it turns white with a
sprinkled streak of black spots. Signs of annosus are conk-like fruiting bodies that
have a creamy, porous underside with a perennial crust-like upper surface found
on upturned tree butts or on the infected roots. The fungus produces a yellow-
brown or red-brown stain, which progresses into a white spongy or stringy rot.

Management

There are three management techniques for Heterobasidion annosum:

silvicultural control measure, chemical methods and biological control. Through
silviculutural means, proper planning and species mixtures that bring in trees with
low susceptibility will provide a better defense against the spread of the fungus.
Chemical methods include stump treatment after the trees have been freshly cut.
The chemical application results in the formation of ammonia and a rise in pH to a
level that the fungus cannot tolerate and the mycelia are unable to survive. With
biological control, there are a number of fungal species that have been used as
competitors for Heterobasidion annosum, with Phlebiopsis gigantea showing the
best results for eliminating the fungus.