| Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), which is besides oak the second most frequent deciduous tree species in Austrian managed forests, is highly threatened by ash dieback, a serious emerging tree disease which is caused by the invasive alien ascomycete fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. The pathogen is native to East Asia, has been introduced by unknown means around 1990 into Europe and has been successively developing to a serious health problem for common ash and other ash species during the last three decades.
In this project, knowledge on the resistance of Fraxinus excelsior towards the ash dieback pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus shall be increased. Likewise, the effects of admixed tree species, density of ash and environmental factors on ash dieback, and the susceptibility, respectively resistance of selected other ash species (Fraxinus spp.), particularly non-native ones, will be investigated. Moreover, investigations on the occurrence and importance of species of honey fungus (Armillaria spp.), which became important pathogens and mortality factors on ash after the emergence of ash dieback, will be conducted. All investigations will be carried out in a common ash clonal seed orchard and in field trials which have been established in previous years.
The project is divided into four thematic Work Packages (WP), which correspond to the four main project goals, as follows:
• WP 1: Resistance of common ash to ash dieback
• WP 2: Effects of admixed tree species (WP 2.1) and environmental factors (WP 2.2) on ash dieback
• WP 3: Susceptibility of various ash species towards ash dieback
• WP 4: Occurrence of species of honey fungus and their importance as mortality factors in the field trials
The project will be conducted jointly by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), which acts as project applicant, and the Austrian Federal Research Centre for Forests (BFW), which acts as subcontractor, as equal partners. While BOKU is mainly responsible for Work Packages 1, 2.1 and 3, BFW carries out the work of Work Packages 2.2 and 4. |