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Platforms mounted in rope parks cause injuries to trees. A new method for mounting platforms uses clamps, which are theoretically less damaging to trees. The aim of the study was to determine changes in the vitality of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in response to both old and new platform mounting systems. In the old system, wooden brackets are embedded in the cut fragments of tree trunks. The new system utilizes clamps that hug the trunks. A vitality assessment was carried out for control trees and trees with platforms on the basis of changes in the assimilation apparatus and the degree of thinning of the outer parts of the tree crowns. The visual assessments differentiated between four classes 0–3. We conducted the visual assessment of tree vitality four years after the installation of the platforms. The level of trunk circumference damaged at the platform attachment point was determined using photogrammetric measurements and laser scanning technology. The obtained results were compared to the vitality recorded for the control trees. Trees that initially had better vitality showed a clear decrease in vitality of ~0.5 class. Trees that initially had worse vitality showed a clear increase in vitality, ranging from 0.25 class for pines to 1 class for beeches. Pine and beech trees reacted differently to injuries caused by platform installations. Pine trees responded with a slight increase in vitality, while beech trees experienced a decrease of over a hundred percent. The reactions were more pronounced for the new type of platform. Although the new method of platform installation caused more damage to the surface of tree trunks, its impact on tree vitality was not significantly greater than that of the old system. Since the new system allows, in the long term, to change the position on the tree and adjust the clamping force to the trunk, it can be recommended for use in practice despite the overall slightly worse state of the trees when compared to trees with the old mounting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hundred and thirty cultures of Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus were obtained from ascospores created in apothecia on the previous years' ash leaf rachises in the stand floor. Fruiting bodies of the pathogen were collected in four regions of Poland differing by geographical location, the altitude above sea level and climatic conditions. Isolates were identified based on the sequences of ribosomal DNA ( ITS1-5.8S- ITS2) and the calmodulin gene. Only the presence of H. pseudoalbidus was identified in the decaying ash stands in Poland; morphologically similar, saprotrophic species of H. albidus was absent. Intrapopulation and interpopulation genetic variability of isolates was determined based on 84 RAMS markers obtained using four primers. Genetic variability of the fungus populations, measured by the Dice coefficient of genetic similarity and the Shannon coefficient of genetic diversity, decreased along with a decrease in the location of isolate collection area above sea level. A significant dependency was shown between intrapopulation genetic variability of isolates and altitude of regions above sea level. The Mantel test excluded existence of dependence between geographical and genetic distance among populations ( r = −0.038, P = 0.55). A significant correlation was found between the genetic distances of individuals within populations and locations above sea level. Based on PCA and geographical location of populations, it was shown that populations create four distinct groups. amova showed that a majority of total genetic variability (65.80%) constitutes intrapopulation variability. Variability between populations was high (28.7%), and individual regions had a smallest influence (5.5%) on the level of total variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

□ The effect of controlled mycorrhization of pine seedlings withH. crustuliniformeandL. bicoloron seasonal variation and content of photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates, and proteins was investigated. Non-inoculated seedlings and seedlings inoculated withH. crustuliniformecontained more chlorophylls and carotenoids than seedlings inoculated withL. bicolor. Seedlings inoculated withL. bicolorshowed slower accumulation of soluble carbohydrates than inoculated withH. crustuliniforme. During the whole vegetation period, the insoluble carbohydrates content was higher in seedlings inoculated withL. bicolorthan withH. crustuliniformeand non-inoculated plants. Plants inoculated withH. crustuliniformecontained a higher amount of soluble proteins than non-inoculated and inoculated withL. bicolorplants. A time-course analysis showed that non-inoculated plants contained more insoluble proteins only at the beginning of the vegetation period. Plants inoculated withH. crustuliniformecontained more insoluble proteins from the middle of July, while those inoculated withL. bicolorfrom the middle of September. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laccase and manganese dependent peroxidase (MnP) genes in H. annosum s.l. were studied by PCR-RFLP. The peroxidase genes MNP1a and MNP2 showed Heterobasidion species specific length differences. Among eighteen monomorphic markers which were found for investigatedgenes, three were characteristic for H. abietinum andfive for H. annosum s.s. The remaining specific markers were characteristic for H. parviporum and H. abietinum (nine markers) or for H. parviporum and H. annosum s.s. (one marker). No specific marker for H. parviporum was detected. On the basis of monomorphic markers, intersterility groups of eighty one strains isolatedfrom eleven forest tree or bush species in south Polandwere identified. Fifty-three belongedto H. annosum s.s., twenty-five to H. parviporum, andthree to H. abietinum. Strains belonging to H. annosum s.s. were isolatedfrom Pinus nigra, P. strobus, P. sylvestris, Larix decidua, Picea abies, as well as from Alnus incana, Betula pendula, Padus avium, Quercus robur and Q. rubra. H. parviporum was isolatedfrom Abies alba, Picea abies, Pinus nigra, P. sylvestris, Larix decidua andfrom Alnus incana. This is the first report of H. parviporum occurrence on Alnus incana in Poland. The ascertained H. abietinum strains derived from Abies alba. Our results demonstrate a new methodof Heterobasidion species identification based on the different length of MNP1a and MNP2 peroxidase genes and RFLP markers obtained for laccase and Mn2+ dependent peroxidase genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-three type A strains of G. abietina from diseased shoots or needles of P. sylvestris, P. nigra and P. armandii and three strains of Brunchorstia pinea var. cembrae from P. mugo were isolated from four regions of Poland differing with respect to climatic conditions. Genetic polymorphism of the mitochondrial small subunit rRNA (mtSSU rRNA), ribosomal RNA fragment including ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) gene was examined by the PCR-RFLP method. Genetic distance was ascertained with respect to B. pinea var. cembrae strains from G. abietina isolated from the examined pine species (average Nei coefficient 0.137). The smallest genetic distance occurred between the strain groups of G. abietina isolated from P. nigra and P. armandii (0.059) and P. nigra and P. sylvestris (0.061), whereas the highest occurred between the groups of strains deriving from P. armandii and P. sylvestris (0.096). The impact of geographic distance on genetic distance between groups of strains from individual regions has been shown. G. abietina strains originating from mountainous areas were more distanced genetically (on average 0.031) from populations from other regions (Nei genetic distance 0.023). The main factors influencing genetic differences of the pathogen were specificity with respect to the species of the host plant and climate conditions, whereas geographic distance had lesser significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]