Assessing the climate suitability and potential economic impacts of Oak wilt in Canada.

ABSTRACT: We assess risks posed by oak wilt-a disease caused by the fungal pathogen Bretziella fagacearum. Though not currently found in Canada, our distribution models indicate that suitable climate conditions currently occur in southern Ontario for B. fagacearum and two of its main insect dispersal vectors, Colopterus truncatus and Carpophilus sayi. Climate habitat for these species is projected to expand northward under climate change, with much of the oak range in eastern Canada becoming climatically suitable within the next two decades. Potential costs for the removal and replacement of oak street trees ranged from CDN$266 to $420 million, with variation related to uncertainty in costs, rate of tree replacement, and city-level estimates of oak street tree density. The value of standing oak timb

SUBMITTER: Pedlar JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7656453 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature