(Press-News.org) Trees are important to the environmental health of cities through their capacity to improve air quality, provide cooling via shade and transpiration, and foster natural beauty. New research in Plant-Environment Interactions reveals how the widespread plant pathogen Phytophthora affects urban trees, specifically Common Lime trees.
Using numerous tree sensors, investigators found that infected trees exhibited reduced water use and stem growth compared with healthy trees, but some still managed to maintain growth and cooling benefits.
The findings highlight the complexity that tree managers and policy makers must consider when attempting to control disease spread while maintaining the benefits of trees in cities. There are potential trade-offs to consider when weighing tree removal to limit disease spread against the benefits provided by well-functioning diseased trees, particularly large-stature, mature trees that have the greatest capacity to enrich urban areas.
“The impact of Phytophthora disease on the studied street trees was variable, even under extreme heat events that occurred in the UK in 2022, highlighting possible tensions between tree disease management and ecosystem service provision,” said corresponding author Eleanor Absalom, PhD, of the University of Sheffield, in the UK. “Given the growing threats of disease outbreaks and climate change, a better understanding of the impact of Phytophthora on urban trees is critical to maintain resilient urban forests.”
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pei3.70054
Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.
About the Journal
Plant-Environment Interactions is a broad spectrum, open access journal welcoming all plant research, emphasizing that every plant process ultimately enables it to grow in, and interact with, our wider environment. We are author friendly and offer a fast and efficient route to the publication of sound research from right across the molecular, ecological and environmental science communities, including plants and people. Our journal is global in scope and particularly broad and wide ranging in scale, covering everything from plant cell and molecular biology, including development and physiology, through ecology and environmental change, to society and conservation.
About Wiley
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
END
How does a common plant pathogen affect urban trees, and how should it be managed?
2025-06-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Which seeds are best to include in annual flowering seed mixes to attract insect pollinators?
2025-06-04
Annual flowering seed mixes are often grown in gardens and parks, but the flowers included may not be the most pollinator-friendly. New research in Plants, People, Planet reveals plant species that have the potential to attract a diversity of pollinators.
Investigators surveyed 447 scientific papers on plant-insect interactions and conducted field trials of commercially available seed mixes to see which plants pollinators visited the most, focusing on bees and hoverflies. These analyses and tests were used to develop two novel experimental seed mixes that were assessed for insect visitation and ...
How useful are states’ adolescent social media laws?
2025-06-04
Bills related to adolescent social media regulation have been adopted in more than half of all U.S. states. Research in The Milbank Quarterly finds that these state policies—such as school cell phone bans and anti-cyberbullying laws—have significant limitations. The study identifies research priorities that will help inform more effective interventions.
Because definitive evidence around the potential impacts of social media may take years to emerge, and because the absence of regulation may result in avoidable harm to the public, ...
Evidence to support state policies regulating teen use of social media is limited, study finds
2025-06-04
Evidence supporting policies that restrict social media use like school cell phone bans and anti-cyberbullying laws has significant limitations according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The findings are published in the latest issue of the Milbank Quarterly.
More than 50 bills related to adolescent social media regulation have been adopted or enacted in more than half of all U.S. states, with legislators often citing concerns about mental health, harmful content, and ...
Pet dogs could combat genetic eczema risk in children
2025-06-04
Having a dog at home could help to prevent eczema in children who are genetically prone to the condition, a study suggests.
Children with a change in their DNA that increases their chance of developing eczema were less likely to have the condition if they were exposed to a dog in early life, researchers say.
The findings provide new insights into what could cause eczema in children and how environmental factors may influence genetic risk, experts say.
The study did not look at the effect of dog exposure in the treatment of existing eczema, and experts caution that introducing a dog may make ...
A threesome that hatches potato parasites
2025-06-04
Potatoes produce a molecule that is converted by microbes and causes potato parasites to hatch. The Kobe University discovery of this three-way relationship not only adds a new perspective to how plants interact with their environment, it also opens an avenue for developing countermeasures against the parasite.
The potato cyst nematode is a root parasite in plants like potatoes and tomatoes that can cause large-scale yield loss if left untreated. Their eggs can survive in the soil for up to 20 years and hatch when they detect certain molecules, called “hatching factors,” secreted by the roots of their target species. Kobe University phytochemistry scientist MIZUTANI ...
Young people discover the technologies shaping their future in the World Economic Forum and Frontiers for Young Minds collection
2025-06-04
Today's breakthroughs – from interactive smart surfaces to genetically engineered animal organs – that are emerging from laboratories now will be day-to-day realities for tomorrow’s adults and leaders. In this new collection, the next generation takes a driver’s seat in understanding and communicating the technologies that will transform our world.
A new collection from the open-access science journal for kids Frontiers in Young Minds (FYM), published in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, gives curious young people a front-row seat to the innovations that could define their future – and invites them to take active control, ensuring their young ...
Real-time 3D visualization reveals potent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against superbacteria
2025-06-04
A research group in Korea has discovered a novel natural antimicrobial peptide, ‘Hirunipin-2,’ from the salivary glands of the medicinal leech (Hirudo nipponia) using cutting-edge imaging technology, demonstrating that the material has high potential as a new therapeutic effective against superbacteria. This discovery underscores the significant potential of combining natural resources with advanced imaging technologies to address the global challenge of antibiotic-resistant infections.
Dr. ...
Abnormal uterine bleeding and insulin resistance are on the rise: Is there a connection?
2025-06-04
CLEVELAND, Ohio (June 4, 2025)—Insulin resistance is becoming more common because of a combination of lifestyle factors, genetics, and medical conditions. A lot of those same risk factors play a role in abnormal uterine bleeding. A new study sets out to prove the connection between the two as a means to better predict abnormal uterine bleeding. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.
Abnormal uterine bleeding has become more common, with approximately 30% of women of reproductive age experiencing it. More than $34 billion in healthcare ...
Eye wear breakthrough: MXene-coated lenses for safer and smarter wearables
2025-06-04
With recent advancements in technology, the Internet of Things and wireless devices are in high demand. However, these innovations also raise concerns about prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR), which may pose potential risks to eye health. MXenes, a class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides, have shown promise in shielding against EMR. However, their poor adhesion and susceptibility to oxidation have limited their applications.
In a recent breakthrough, researchers led by Professor Takeo Miyake from the Graduate School of Information Production and Systems, Waseda University, Japan, ...
‘AI scientist’ suggests combinations of widely available non-cancer drugs can kill cancer cells
2025-06-04
An ‘AI scientist’, working in collaboration with human scientists, has found that combinations of cheap and safe drugs – used to treat conditions such as high cholesterol and alcohol dependence – could also be effective at treating cancer, a promising new approach to drug discovery.
The research team, led by the University of Cambridge, used the GPT-4 large language model (LLM) to identify hidden patterns buried in the mountains of scientific literature to identify potential new cancer drugs.
To test their approach, the researchers prompted GPT-4 to identify potential new drug combinations that could have a significant impact on a breast cancer ...