How do the fluctuating meteorological factors affect on the epidemiology of pine wilt disease?

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K07855
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Forest Research and Management Organization
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Katsunori 国立研究開発法人森林研究・整備機構, 森林総合研究所, 主任研究員 等 (40343785)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: マツ材線虫病 / 流行過程 / 宿主感受性 / 病原体の毒性 / 媒介者密度 / 自然終息

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Temporal pattern of the occurrence of tree death caused by pine wilt disease in a Pinus densiflora stand was investigated together with 1) yearly measurements of host susceptibility, 2) virulence of the pathogen, and 3) density of the vector insect for the purpose of a quantitative description of the epidemic process. As a result, the occurrence pattern of the dead trees had no linear relationship with the three parameters that were supposed to be used in modeling of the epidemic process. Alternatively, the occurrence of the dead trees might reflect the opportunistic exteriorization of latent infection of the pathogen as a residual effect of a past outbreak of the disease, especially when the stand is situated in the cool-climate area as in the case of this study. Under such a condition, the epidemic can be subsided naturally unless we have some event that promotes an increase of the vector density.

Free Research Field

森林保護学　マツ材線虫病

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マツ材線虫病によるマツ枯損被害量の増減はしばしば気象要因との単純な相関により説明されてきた。本研究では、気象等の環境要因がどのような生物学的な過程を通じて材線虫病の流行に影響するのかを解明しようとした。当初想定した生物学的なパラメータによるモデルを提示することはできなかったが、研究をすすめる中で、寒冷地において経験的に知られていた材線虫病の自然終息という現象に科学的な根拠を示しうる仮説を導くに至った。自然終息過程の解明は、自然の仕組みを活かした環境低負荷な材線虫病対策の構築に貢献するものとなるであろう。