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Relationships between jack pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm.) and Armillaria root disease (Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink) were examined to determine how these two disease agents contribute to jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) decline and mortality in the Belair Provincial Forest, Manitoba, Canada. The incidence and extent of Armillaria root disease was strongly related to tree vigor. Dwarf mistletoe infection did not affect either the incidence of Armillaria or the mean percentage of root system colonization within vigorous, declining, and dead classes of trees. However, field observations and other analyses indicate that dwarf mistletoe was primary responsible for jack pine decline and mortality. In dwarf mistletoe mortality centers, Armillaria appeared to act opportunistically, extensively colonizing only the stressed trees. Analysis of distributions of percent Armillaria colonization revealed that rapid root system colonization occurred just prior to, or at the time of tree death. |
