Some challenges of recognizing invasive phytophthoras and finding their origins
| Authors: | Everett Hansen |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Pacific Southwest Research Station |
| Source: | In: Frankel, Susan J.; Kliejunas, John T.; Palmieri, Katharine M. 2010. Proceedings of the Sudden Oak Death Fourth Science Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-229. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. pp. 17-21 |
Abstract
Discovering the origins of Phytophthora ramorum remains a challenge. To improve our chances of finding the origin of P. ramorum or any other introduced organism, we need to be sure of our motivation, because success will require persistence. We need to be able to distinguish indigenous from exotic organisms, to know what to look for and recognize when we have found it, and we need a practical "search image" to guide the discovery and sorting of candidate organisms.Perhaps the most frequently asked question about P. ramorum and sudden oak death is "Where did it come from?" Despite several expeditions to far off lands (Goheen and others 2005) and repeated searches closer to home, the answer is unchanged: “I don’t know. Maybe China.” Our ignorance is frustrating, but shouldn’t be surprising. We actually know the answer for very few pathogens. Perhaps it is timely to reexamine our approach. To improve our chances of finding the origin of P. ramorum or any other introduced organism, we need to deal with three additional questions: "How do we know it was introduced in the first place?" "Why do we need to know?" and "Where should we look and what should we be looking for?" The first is a necessary challenge to our epidemiological and genetic assumptions about invasive species of pathogenic fungi. The second is a question of motivation and commitment, and “Where to look?” is as much a question of opportunity as biology.