Biotic Pest Damage Of Green Alder (Alnus Fruticosa ): Susceptibility To A Stem Disease (Valsa Melanodiscus) And Functional Changes Following Insect Herbivory

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, researchers have been predicting that a warming climate will lead to higher levels of plant disease damage. This appears to be the current trend in the boreal region; however, the level of complexity inherent to plant-pest interactions makes it difficult to make predictions across plant-pest systems. This study focuses on a boreal shrub in Alaska, Alnus fruticosa, which is currently a host to several insect and fungal pest species that are either already at epidemic status or have recently achieved epidemic status on other Alnus species in Alaska. Against the backdrop of a warming boreal forest, the overall aim of my study was to evaluate the response of A. fruticosa to two types of pest damage: the stem canker disease Valsa melanodiscus (anamorph Cytospora umbrina) and defoliation damage from insect leaf chewers. Our results indicate that, despite pest-related damage to the sapwood or leaf area, alders have physiological mechanisms in place to maintain homeostasis or recovery following disease damage. At the leaf-level, alders adjusted photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to cope with disease, despite decreased water transport and down-regulated light-response. At the ramet level, alders coordinated rates of water loss, hydraulic conductance, and maintenance leaf water balance following partial defoliation. These physiological host responses are not part of classical disease triangles, yet these types of host responses are likely to affect disease outcome in certain plant-pest systems and could potentially determine the trajectory of disease development.