Urban activities influence on Phytophthora species diversity in British Columbia, Canada
| Authors: | Angela Dale, Nicolas Feau, Julien Ponchart, Guillaume Bilodeau, Jean Berube, R.C. Hamelin |
| Year: | 2017 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Pacific Southwest Research Station |
| Source: | Proceedings of the sudden oak death sixth science symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. GTR-PSW-255. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 31-32. |
Abstract
Phytophthora de Bary, a genus of Oomycetes, is known as a plant pathogenic genus. The best-known species infect a wide range of hosts, including economically valuable angiosperm and gymnosperm tree species and important agricultural crops. Many Phytophthora are invasive and have been disseminated through nursery and agricultural trade. We hypothesize that such human activities would affect the diversity of these pathogens. To test this hypothesis, we characterized and compared Phytophthora diversity between natural and urban environments in British Columbia. We collected soil samples from sites in urban and natural locations or at the interface of urban/natural areas around Vancouver, British Columbia and south Vancouver Island, in 2012 and 2013. DNA was extracted from 130 soil samples and DNA metabarcoding was carried out using 454 pyrosequencing of the internal transcribed spacer one (ITS1). In 2011, five waterways classified as urban and located around agricultural or residential areas were baited with mesh bags containing Rhododendron leaves. Leaves were collected bi-weekly for 10 weeks. Phytophthora species were isolated on specific media and barcoded using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2).