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Molecular identification of decay fungi in the wood of urban trees

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Abstract

Trees are valuable for urban areas, however, are also susceptible to wood rot fungi. For accurate and fast assessment of the severity and evolution of decay in standing trees, a molecular technique was used to identify the causal agents of wood rot. Fruit bodies of wood decay fungi were collected from infected trees in various stands in Germany. Thirty-six species were identified by traditional methods. The DNA of fruit bodies was extracted, ITS-rDNA amplified by PCR, and ITS regions sequenced. Wood samples from infected urban trees were collected, the entire DNA extracted from affected wood parts, and fungal ITS amplified and sequenced. Fungal species were identified by comparing sequence data with the fruit body data. The technique enables an accurate and rapid identification of causal rot fungi in urban trees.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer des Zentrums Holzwirtschaft der Universität Hamburg (GFF) for financial support, Dr. Tobias Huckfeldt for help in microscopic identification, and Ms. Angie Faust for the English revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Wood Biology, University of Hamburg, Leuschnerstr. 91D, 21031, Hamburg, Germany

    O. Schmidt

  2. Institute of Arboriculture, Brookkehre 60, 21029, Hamburg, Germany

    O. Gaiser & D. Dujesiefken

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  1. O. Schmidt
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  2. O. Gaiser
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Correspondence to O. Schmidt.

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Communicated by T. Seifert.

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Schmidt, O., Gaiser, O. & Dujesiefken, D. Molecular identification of decay fungi in the wood of urban trees. Eur J Forest Res 131, 885–891 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-011-0562-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-011-0562-9

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