sdu faculty of forestry journal special edition 2009 - Orman Fakültesi

SDÜ ORMAN FAKÜLTESİ DERGİSİ
species isolated from both Köprülü Kanyon and Aydıncık were; P. cf. occulta (22
and 44 %), unidentified coelomycete (6 and 22%), Alternaria spp. (13 and 5 %),
Cladosporium spp. (5 and 5%), Cytospora sp. (2 and 4%) and P. funerea (37 and
1%), respectively. While P. cf. occulta was the most common species in Aydıncık,
P. funerea - which was rare in Aydıncık - was the most frequently isolated species
in Köprülü Kanyon. Fungi isolated from both sampling area agrees slightly with
those stated in previous studies (Munoz and Ruperez, 1980; Ducrey et al., 1999;
Madar et al., 1991; Gonthier and Nicolotti, 2002; Bajo et al., 2008). Moreover, P.
cf. occulta, P. funerea and Cytospora sp. are reported to be pathogenic on cypress,
especially under stress conditions. However, neither S. cardinale nor other cypress
canker related Seiridium species was recovered in this study. Nor were there well–
known canker causing fungal pathogens of cypress, such as B. theobromae and D.
pinea f.sp. cupressi, among the isolates. This indicates that either the pathogens
were missing from the studied stands or replaced by other fungi in the sampled
cankers. On the other hand, as the study areas were large, a sampling strategy
focusing in sampling only the fresh cankers could have given different results.
Nevertheless, the absence of e.g. S. cardinale in the study areas may not indicate
that the native populations would be highly resistant against the pathogen, since the
previously tested Turkish provenances (including Köprülü Kanyon –Zerk–, but not
Aydıncık) tended to have only intermediate resistance against S. cardinale (Santini
and Di Lonardo, 2000). The absence may be due to other factors including
geographical barriers (Santini and Di Lonardo, 2000).
In Köprülü Kanyon, P. funerea was isolated nearly from all cankers sampled. This
species is endemic in Europe and is also present in the native areas of cypress, and
therefore considered to have co-evolved with C. sempervirens (Santini and Di Lonardo,
2000). It is considered a weak pathogen of a wide range of conifer hosts including
species in the following genera: Cupressus, Pinus, Juniperus and Thuja (Madar et al.,
1991; Sinclair et al., 1993; Santamaria et al., 2007). Moreover, it is also thought to be
capable of replacing other pathogens such as S. cardinale (Sanches and Gibbs, 1995).
During the survey in Köprülü Kanyon fruiting structures on plant tissues were not
noticed, however in Aydıncık, there were unripe fruiting structures on the plants.
Ecology of Cytospora sp., P. funerea and P. cf. occulta could differ between the two
study areas, however, the differences could have been caused by the different sampling
times or climate as well.
In conclusion, canker incidence in natural C. sempervirens var. horizontalis
stands in southern Turkey was relatively high. To our knowledge, all obtained
fungal species, except P. funerea, are new records on cypress in Turkey. None of
the fungi is reported to be an aggressive pathogen, but could be harmful under
stress conditions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Financial support from the TUBITAK (Project No. TOVAG-108 O 287) is
gratefully acknowledged. The authors are thankful to Dr. Gürsel Karaca for the
identification of fungi.
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