Picea abies-Armillaria-Ips: A strategy or coincidence?

Abstract

Norway spruce trees weakened by soil drought and progressive die-off of mycorrhizas in root systems become susceptible to infection by rhizomorphs of Armillaria spp. The developing mycelium of this necrotroph induces resin channels in wood, and the induced resin releases some volatile compounds which falsely signal bark beetles that it is safe to invade the host. As a result of the developing beetle outbreak, host trees die, becoming a long-term stock of substrate for the fungus in its saprotrophic stage. This hypothesis is discussed as a fungal survival strategy.