Abstract
Urban forests play an important role in urban ecosystems. They provide a variety of functions, services and benefits that are essential for urban development to succeed. The health, structural integrity and aesthetics of trees in urban forests are critical factors in determining a city’s image and quality of life. Nevertheless, most trees in urban areas encounter various stresses that cause them to deteriorate and become more susceptible to insect and disease attack. This chapter discusses biotic and abiotic problems affecting the health of trees in urban forests, with a focus on Selangor, Putrajaya, and Kuala Lumpur. Plant health problems are diagnosed through field inspections and laboratory analysis of sampled material for identification of the causative organisms. Most plant health problems observed during inspections are caused by environmental factors such as soil compaction, water availability, lightning strikes, nutrient deficiency, limited planting space and mechanical injury. While some fungal infections such as leaf spot, leaf rust, powdery mildew, and sooty mould, are common, they have a negligible effect on tree health. Additionally, it is discovered that Chrysoporthe stem canker, Fusarium wilt, root rot and basal stem rot, all have significant impacts, and these diseases are destructive, difficult to control and rapidly spread to initiate new infection. Appropriate disease management measures are essential to bring the disease under control.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ann, P. J., Chang, T. T., & Ko, W. H. (2002). Phellinus noxius brown rot of fruit and ornamental trees in Taiwan. Plant Disease, 86(8), 820–826.
Anonymous, (2002). Cryphonectria canker of Eucalyptus. Tree Protection Co-operative Programme Pamphlet.
Anonymous, (2009). Fusarium wilt disease of Angsana. Technical Notes.
Arie, T. (2010). Phylogeny and phytopathogenicity mechanisms of soilborne Fusarium oxysporum. The Journal of General Plant Pathology, 76, 403–405.
Ariffin, D., Idris, A.S., & Singh, G., (2000). Status of Ganoderma in oil palm. In J. Flood, P. D.Bridge, & M. Holderness (Eds.), Ganoderma diseases of perennial crops (pp. 49–68). CABI Publishing.
Bumrungsri, S., Beaver, R., Phongpaichit, S. & Sittichaya, W., (2008). The infestation by an exotic ambrosia beetle, Euplatypus parallelus (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae) of Angsana trees (Pterocarpus indicus Willd.) in southern Thailand. Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology, 30(5), 579–582.
Chang, T. T. (2002). The biology, ecology and pathology of Phellinus noxius in Taiwan. In R. Watling, J. C. Frankland, A. M. Ainsworth, S. Isaac & C.H. Robinson (Eds.), Tropical mycology vol. 1, macromycetes (pp. 87–99). CAB Publishing.
Chase, A. R., & Broschat, T. K. (1992). Diseases and disorders of ornamentals palms. American Phytopathological Society.
Chen, S. F., Gryzenhout, M., Roux, J., Xie, Y. J., Wingfield, M. J., & Zhou, X. D. (2010). Identification and pathogenicity of Chrysoporthe cubensis on Eucalyptus and Syzygium spp. in South China. Plant DisEase, 94, 1143–1150.
Ciesla, W.M., Diekmann, M. & Putter, C.A.J., (1996). FAO/IPGRI Technical Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Germplasm. No. 17 (p. 68). Eucalyptus spp. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome.
Colombo, S.J., (2016). Canada’s urban forests in a changing climate (Canadian Climate Forum Issue Paper No. 5).
Crowhurst, R. N., King, F. Y., Hawthorne, B. T., Sanderson, F. R., & Choi-Pheng, Y. (1995). RAPD characterization of Fusarium oxysporum associated with wilt of angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) in Singapore. Mycological Research, 99, 4–18.
Dale, A. G., & Frank, S. D. (2017). Warming and drought combine to increase pest insect fitness on urban trees. PLoS ONE, 12(3), e0173844. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173844
Farid, A. M., Azrul, W. M., & W.A., Syazwan, S.A., Lee, S.Y. & Mohamed, R. (2018). First record of basal stem rot of foxtail palm Wodyetia bifurcata caused by Ganoderma boninense in Malaysia. Plant Disease, 102(7), 461–1461. https://doi.org/10.1094/pdis-12-17-2027
Flood, J., Bridge, P. D., & Holderness, M. (2000). Preface. CABI Publishing.
Furtado, C. X. (1935). A disease of the angsana tree. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 13(2), 163–192.
Gryzenhout, M., & Wingfield, B. O. & Wingfield, M. J. (2009). Taxonomy, phylogeny, and ecology of bark-inhabiting and tree pathogenic fungi in the Cryphonectriaceae. American Phytopathological Society.
Guyot, J., & Flori, A. (2002). Comparative study for detecting Rigidoporus lignosus on rubber trees. Crop Protection, 21, 461–466.
Hodges, C. S., & Teneiro, J. A. (1984). Root rot of Delonix regia and associated tree species in the Mariana Islands caused by Phellinus noxius. Plant Disease, 68, 334–345.
Holliday, P. (1980). Fungus diseases of Tropical crops. Cambridge University Press.
Idris, A. S., Yamouka, M., Hayakawa, S., Basri, M. W., Noorhasimah, I., & Ariffin, D. (2003). PCR technique for detection of Ganoderma (MPOB Information Series No. 202).
Inami, K., Takeshi, K. T., Masato, K. M., Akiko, O. A., Nobuko, I. N., Enrique, R. P., Hozumi, T., Liliana, A. C., Fatima, C. B., Mauricio, J. R., Khalid, A. M., Tobin, L. P., Teraoka, T., Kodama, M., & Arie, T., (2014). The tomato wilt fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici shares common ancestors with nonpathogenic F. oxysporum isolated from wild tomatoes in the Peruvian Andes. Microbes Environment, 29 (2), 200–210. doi:https://doi.org/10.1264/jsme2.ME13184
Ismail, H., & Azaldin, M. Y. (1985). Interaction of sulphur with soil pH and root disease of rubber. Journal Rubber Research Institute Malaysia, 33, 5–69.
Ismail, H., & Shamsuri, M. H. (1998, October). Current status of root diseases of rubber. In CABI workshop on Ganoderma diseases (pp. 5–8).
Kaplan, R., & Stephen, K. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Lee, S. S. (2000). The current status of root diseases of Acacia mangium Willd. In J. Flood, P. D. Bridge, & M. Holderness (Eds.), Ganoderma diseases of perennial crops (pp. 71–79). CABI Publishing.
Lim, T. (1977). Production, germination and dispersal of basidiospores of Ganoderma pseudoferreum on Hevea. Journal of the Rubber Research Institute Malaysia, 25, 93–99.
Mohammed, C.L., Barry, K.M. & Irianto, R.S.B., (2006). Heart rot and root rot in Acacia mangium: identification and assessment. In K. Potter, A. Rimbawanto & C. Beadle (Eds.), Heart rot and root rot in tropical Acacia plantations (pp. 26–33). Proceedings of a workshop held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 7─9 February 2006. Canberra, ACIAR Proceedings No. 124.
Mohanan, C. (2014). Diseases in Eucalyptus: Status and management. In P. P. Bhojvaid, S. Kaushik, Y. P. Singh, D. Kumar, M. Thapliyal, & S. Barthwal (Eds.), Eucalypts in India (pp. 280–314). ENVIS Centre on Forestry National Forest Library and Information Centre Forest Research Institute.
Moncalvo, J. M. (2000). Systematics of Ganoderma. In J. Flood, P. D. Bridge, & M. Holderness (Eds.), Ganoderma diseases of perennial crops (pp. 23–46). CABI Publishing.
Nakabonge, G., Roux, J., Gryzenhout, M., & Wingfield, M. J. (2006). Distribution of Chrysoporthe canker pathogens on Eucalyptus and Syzygium spp. in eastern and southern Africa. Plant Disease, 90, 734–740.
Nandris, D., Nicole, M., & Geiger, J. P. (1987). Root rot diseases of rubber tree. Plant Disease, 71, 298–306.
Nunez, M., & Ryvarden, L. (2001). East Asian Polypores (Vol. 2, p. 522). Polyporaceae s. lato. Synopsis Fungorum 14. Fungiflora.
Page, D.E., Glen, M., Puspitasari, D., Prihatini, I., Gafur, A. & Mohammed, C.L., (2020). Acacia plantations in Indonesia facilitate clonal spread of the root pathogen Ganoderma philippii. Plant Pathology [online]. [Viewed 12 January 2020]. Available from https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.13153
Philip, E. (1999). Wilt disease of angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) in Peninsular Malaysia and its possible control. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 11(3), 519–527.
Ploetz, R. C. (2006). Fusarium-induced diseases of tropical, perennial crops. Phytopathology, 96, 648–652.
Rodas, C. A., Gryzenhout, M., Myburg, H., Wingfield, B. D., & Wingfield, M. J. (2005). Discovery of the Eucalyptus canker pathogen Chrysoporthe cubensis on native Miconia (Melastomataceae) in Colombia. Plant Pathology, 54, 460–470.
Sanderson, F. R. (1992). Angsana Wilt Disease. Garden Wise, 4, 9.
Sanderson, F.R., Fong, Y.K., Yik, C.F., Ong, K.H. & Anuar, S., (1997). A Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) of angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) in Singapore: Epidemiology and identification of the causal organism. Arboricultural Journal: The International Journal of Urban Forestry, 21(3), 18–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071375.1997.9747165
Semangun, H. (2000). Diseases of plantation crops in Indonesia. Gadjah Mada University Press.
Sharma, J. K., Mohanan, C., & Florence, E. J .M., (1985). Disease survey in nurseries and plantations of forest tree species grown in Kerala. (Kerala Forest Research Institute Research Report 36).
Solomou, A. D., Topalidou, E. T., Germani, R., Argirι, A., & Karetsos, G. (2019). Importance, utilization and health of urban forests: A review. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj, 47(1), 10–16.
Tarno, H., Erfan Dani, S., & Luqman, Q. A. (2016). Microbial community associated with ambrosia beetle, Euplatypus parallelus on sonokembang, Pterocarpus indicus in Malang. AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science, 38(3), 312–320.
Turner, P. D. (1965). The incidence of Ganoderma disease of oil palms in Malaya and its relation to previous crop. Annual Applied Biology, 55, 417–423.
Ulrich, R. S. (1986). Human responses to vegetation and landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning, 13, 29–44.
Wegulo, S. (2001). Fungal stem cankers of trees. Sustainable urban Landscapes. Iowa State University.
Wingfield, M. J. (1999). Pathogens in exotic plantation forestry. International Forestry Review, 1, 163–168.
Wolf, K. L. (2007). The environmental psychology of shopping: Assessing the value of trees. International Council of Shopping Centers Research Review, 14(3), 39–43.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ahmad, M.F., Hishamuddin, M.S. (2022). Trees Diseases and Disorders in Urban Forests of Peninsular Malaysia. In: Maruthaveeran, S., Chen, W.Y., Morgenroth, J. (eds) Urban Forestry and Arboriculture in Malaysia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5418-4_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5418-4_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-19-5417-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-19-5418-4
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)