Phytophthora ramorum (Sudden Oak Death)

Overview

Macro-fungus. This fungus infests several species of oak trees and causes increased mortality in a short period of time after the development of cankers that girdle the tree. The fungus is spread by spores, can be easily spread to other locations in nursery material , and there is no treatment available once trees develop cankers.

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Ramorum Blight, Ramorum Dieback, Sod, Sudden Oak Death

Description

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Physical Description

Species Phytophthora ramorum

Hyphae are highly branched, contorted, dendritic . Chlamydospores , produced on hyphal tips , are at first hyaline , then darken to cinnamon brown, 30-90 �m. Sporangia are semi-papillate, 30-90 �m, and deciduous. Oospores have not been observed. Infected trees develop bleeding or oozing cankers on the lower trunk . Cankers produce a reddish-brown to tar-black viscous seep that is sticky. Cankers are generally found in the lower 10 feet of the stem and are above the soil line . Underneath the outer bark of the infected tree, a dark line separates the necrotic tissue from the healthy tissue. Foliage on the infected tree, in the advanced stage, quickly changes from green to yellow to brown.

Habitat

Forests of three main types are affected in the North American region: Mixed Evergreen-Bay-Arbutus (fairly dry open forests with a grass and dense shrub understory ), Tanoak - Douglas-fir (wetter forest, frequently with Vaccinium as understory), Coast Redwood (usually more open, often with tanoak as the major understory). Found to infest the following plant species: Lithocarpus densiflorus (tanoak), Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak), Quercus parvula var. shrevei (Shreve's oak), Quercus kelloggii (black oak), Vaccinium ovatum (huckleberry), Rhododendron spp. (rhododendron and azalea), Arbutus menziesii (arbutus), Arctostaphylos manzanita (manzanita), Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple), Aesculus californica (California buckeye), Umbellularia californica (bay laurel), Viburnum X bodnantense (hybrid viburnum), Lonicera hispidula (California honeysuckle), Heteromeles arbutifolia (Christmasberry), Rhamnus californica (coffeeberry), Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood), Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir).

Biome: natural forest , planted forests

Ecology: Increased mortality of the host species : tanoak, coast live oak, and black oak. Tanoaks are a dominant hardwood in CA and OR forests and die in a short period of time following the onset of symptoms. Sudden die-offs of tanoak trees have negative visual, social, and ecological impacts .

Biology

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Reproduction

Spores.Sporangia, zoospores , chlamydospores

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- Kingdom: Chromista () - T. Cavalier-Smith, 1981
  - Subkingdom: Chromobiota () - Cavalier-Smith, 1991
    - Infrakingdom: Heterokonta () - (Cavalier-Smith, 1986) Cavalier-Smith, 1995
      - Phylum: Oomycota ()
        Class: Oomycetes () - Winter, in Rabenhorst, 1879
        Order: Pythiales ()
        Family: Pythiaceae () - �
        Genus: Phytophthora () - Dastur, 1913
        Specific descriptor: ramorum - S. Werres, A.W.A.M. de Cock & W.A. Man in 't Veld
        Scientific name: - Phytophthora ramorum S. Werres, A.W.A.M. de Cock & W.A. Man in 't Veld

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Phytophthora

There are approximately 131 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

P. alni · P. alni multiformis · P. aquatica · P. avicennae · P. avicenniae · P. bahamensis · P. batemanensis · P. boehmeriae · P. botryosa · P. brassicae · P. cactorum · P. cactorum var. cactorum · P. cajani · P. cambivora · P. canavaliae · P. capsici · P. carica · P. cinchonae · P. cinnamomi (Littleleaf Disease) · P. cinnamomi var. cinnamomi · P. cinnamomi var. parvispora · P. cinnamomi var. robiniae · P. citri · P. citricola · P. citrophthora · P. clandestina · P. colocasiae · P. cryptogea · P. cryptogea begoniae · P. cryptogea var. cryptogea · P. cyperi · P. cyperi-bulbosi · P. devastatrix · P. devastrix · P. drechsleri · P. drechsleri var. cajani · P. drechsleri var. drechsleri · P. epistomium · P. eriugena · P. erythroseptica · P. erythroseptica var. erythroseptica · P. erythroseptica var. pisi · P. europaea · P. fagopyri · P. fragariae · P. fragariae var. fragariae · P. fragariae var. oryzobladis · P. fragariae var. rubi · P. gonapodyides · P. hedraiandra · P. hibernalis · P. himalayensis · P. humicola · P. idaei · P. ideai · P. ilicis · P. imperfecta var. imperfecta · P. infectans · P. infestans · P. inflata · P. insolita · P. inundata · P. ipomoeae · P. iranica · P. italica · P. japonica · P. jatrophae · P. katsurae · P. kernoviae · P. lateralis · P. leersiae · P. lepironiae · P. macrochlamydospora · P. meadii · P. medicaginis · P. megakarya · P. megasperma · P. megasperma medicaginis-sativae · P. megasperma var. glycinea · P. megasperma var. megasperma · P. melonis · P. mexicana · P. mirabilis · P. multivesiculata · P. murrayae · P. mycoparasitica · P. nemorosa · P. nicotianae · P. nicotianae van · P. nicotianae var. nicotianae · P. operculata · P. oryzo-bladis · P. paeoniae · P. palmivora · P. palmivora var. palmivora · P. palmivora var. piperis · P. parasitica var. parasitica · P. parasitica var. sesami · P. phaseoli · P. pini

Bibliography

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CSREES Collaborates on Responses to Phytophthora ramorum USDA. Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Identification/Description; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls
Forest Pathology and Mycology Lab University of California - Berkeley. Research
How to recognize symptoms of diseases caused by Phytophthora ramorum causal agent of Sudden Oak Death (PDF | 504 KB) University of California - Berkeley. Cooperative Extension; USDA. Forest Service. Identification/Description; Photographs
Monitoring Sudden Oak Death University of California - Berkeley.Distribution
Pest Alert: Sudden Oak Death North Central Region Pest Management Center. Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Distribution; Controls
Phytophthora Ramorum Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Plant Health Division.Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Life Cycle; Dispersion; Controls
Phytophthora ramorum (fungus) - ISSG Global Invasive Species Database World Conservation Union. Invasive Species Specialist Group.Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls
Phytophthora ramorum (pramorum.org) Oregon Association of Nurseries; Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association. Identification/Description; Distribution
Phytophthora ramorum - Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet (PDF | 175 KB) North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species. Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls
Phytophthora ramorum / Sudden Oak Death USDA. APHIS. Plant Protection and Quarantine. Introduction History; Impacts; Legal Aspects
Phytophthora ramorum Article Citation Search - AGRICOLA Database USDA. National Agricultural Library. Research; Special Note: NAL Catalog Search (resources)
Phytophthora ramorum European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. Identification/Description; Int roduction History; Distribution
Phytophthora ramorum Nature Conservancy. Global Invasive Species Initiative. Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls; Special Note: Gallery of Pests
Phytophthora ramorum United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs. Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Dispersion
Phytophthora ramorum: A newly isolated pathogen responsible for severe oak mortality on the west coast of the U.S. North American Plant Protection Organization. Phytosanitary Alert System. Taxonomy; Photographs; Impacts; Dispersion
Relentless spread of Sudden Oak Death: tracking a mysterious killer - California Coast and Ocean Magazine [Vol 17(3), Winter 2001-2002] California Coastal Conservancy.Introduction History; Dispersion
Sudden Oak Death (SOD) California Department of Parks and Recreation. Distribution; Dispersion; Controls
Sudden Oak Death - Introduced Species Summary Project Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation. Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Controls
Sudden Oak Death - Plant Materials Technical Note No. MT-44 (PDF | 72 KB) USDA. NRCS. Plant Materials Program. Identification/Description; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Special Note: References
Sudden Oak Death Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project. Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Habitat
Sudden Oak Death Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Identification/Description; Photographs; Distribution
Sudden Oak Death National Detection Survey USDA. Forest Service. National Forest Health Monitoring. Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Controls
Sudden Oak Death Online Symposium (Apr 21 - May 12, 2003) American Phytopathological Society. Special Note: Full text of presentations available
Sudden Oak Death USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. National Agricultural Pest Information System.Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Legal Aspects
Sudden Oak Death USDA. Forest Service. Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts
Sudden Oak Death Washington Department of Agriculture. Identification/Description
Sudden Oak Death and Connecticut Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Identification/Description; Distribution; Dispersion
Sudden Oak Death and Related Diseases Oregon Department of Agriculture. Plant Health Section. Identification/Description; Distribution; Controls
Sudden Oak Death and the California Oak Mortality Task Force California Forest Pest Council. California Oak Mortality Task Force. Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Distribution; Dispersion; Research; Legal Aspects; Special Note: Press Releases and COMTF Newsletters
Sudden Oak Death in Georgia and Sudden Oak Death Georgia Invasive Species Task Force. Taxonomy; Photographs; Special Note: Resources
Sudden Oak Death—Phytophthora ramorum Washington State University. Puyallup Research and Extension Center. Special Note: Video presentations from Sudden Oak Death Informational Meeting held at the Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center Jul 9, 2003
Utilization of Sudden Oak Death Diseased Wood (SODBusters) University of California. Forest Products Laboratory. Taxonomy; Introduction History; Dispersion
onal Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.
National Invasive Species Information Center, National Agricultural Library, United States Department of Agriculture. Web Site. Accessed May 3, 2008.

Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3362768
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 16406958
Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:indexfungorum.org:names:474485
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 17614