Do mycorrhiza protect spruce from spruce bark beetle in periods of drought?

Summary

The aim of the proposed project is to investigate the relationship between soil moisture conditions, mycorrhizal colonisation and community composition and spruce resistance against European spruce bark beetle attack. The objectives of the study are to: • Examine the differences in spruce tree - mycorrhizal associations under different levels of soil moisture conditions (Work Package (WP) 1); • Manipulate soil moisture conditions to investigate the effect of drought on spruce-mycorrhizal associations (WP2); • Quantify the effect of acute drought on tree susceptibility to SBB in stands with different soil moisture conditions (WP3); • Quantify the 4-way relationship between stand conditions, drought stress, extent of mycorrhizal associations and susceptibility to SBB attack in the context of tree recovery (WP4).

Drought Spruce bark beetle Mycorrhiza