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MILJØFORSK-Miljøforskning for en grønn samfunnsomstilling

BiodivERsA_RESIPATH: Responses of European Forests and Society to Invasive Pathogens

Awarded: NOK 0.68 mill.

As planned in the original project description, the partners completed all data sampling in summer 2016. Partner #9 (Nibio dept. of Forest Health, a dept. at Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute before 1st July 2015) coordinates WP1: Long term sustainability of tree species affected by invasive pathogens and framework for impact assessment. During the last project meeting (Bordeaux, Dec. 2016) we presented preliminary data analyses from national forest inventories and forest health monitoring plots from Norway. We are currently processing the datasets from all the involved partners in order to estimate how invasive pathogens influence tree health and demography at forest stands in Europe. We aim to publish a comprehensive manuscript in a level 2 journal and hope to have this manuscript completed during spring 2017. In addition we have currently one WP1-related manuscript in press in the level 1 journal Baltic Forestry, where it will be published in a special issue about ash dieback. Besides WP1, partner #9 participates in WP 4 (Detection and early warning of fungal and oomycete pathogens) and WP5 (Public perception on invasive pathogens across Europe). Regarding WP4, we have completed two scientific articles about ash dieback in Norway: the first was published in the level 2 journal New Phytologist (vol. 213: 1405-1417) and the other is currently in press in the level 1 journal Baltic Forestry, where it will be published in a special issue about ash dieback. Regarding WP5, data sampling was completed by all partners during summer 2016. The Swedish WP coordinator presented the data analysis results at the last project meeting in Bordeaux (Dec. 2016) and the manuscript is now in practice completed: Louise Eriksson, Johanna Boberg, Thomas Cech, Tamara Corcobado, Mari-Laure Desprez-Loustau, Ari M. Hietala, Marília Horta Jung, Hatice Tugba Dogmus Lehtijarvi, Funda Oskay, Slavtcho Slavov, Jan Stenlid, Jonàs Oliva Palau. Seeing the problem not the pathogens: Problem awareness of invasive forest pathogens and policy acceptability in Europe. To be submitted within May 2017 to the level 2 journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. We anticipate that this Norwegian partner (partner #9) will publish three scientific articles at level 2 and three at level 1 from work carried out during this EU project. Popular scientific articles are downstream the publication of scientific articles and shall be completed during summer 2017.

Invasive alien species pose a serious global threat to biodiversity by driving native species to extinction via competitive exclusion and by their ability to modify entire landscapes. The selected tree species are not only an integral part of their ecosys tems but are also economically important and supply crucial environmental services to European society, such as biodiversity, watershed protection, stabilisation of river banks, as well as recreational and cultural values. Due to different mortality patte rns, the array of host-pathogen combinations enables the study of differential effects on the host population in terms of demographics and evolution. The high ecological and economic impact caused by invasive pathogens nowadays necessitates the developmen t of an early detection system and to increase knowledge on the importance of different pathways for their introduction and spread. Ultimately, an efficient response from society to mitigate the impact of invasive pathogens also depends on the public perc eption and the communication between researchers and stakeholders in society. The contribution of NFLI is restricted to Dutch elm disease and ash dieback in the following WPs: WP 1: Long term sustainability of tree species affected by invasive pathogen s and framework for impact assessment. The WP will assess the long-term sustainability of major European tree genera populations and develop a framework for assessing the risk of future invaders in Europe WP 4: Detection and early warning of fungal and oomycete pathogens. The WP will provide a validated high through-put system for the early detection of potentially harmful and invasive fungal/oomycete taxa. WP 5 aims to quantify the level of awareness amongst European citizens and to understand the rol e of mass media cover and political decisions on the level of awareness. For a detailed description of proposal, see the attached consortium research plan.

Funding scheme:

MILJØFORSK-Miljøforskning for en grønn samfunnsomstilling