Understanding predictors of mistletoe infection across an urban university campus in Southwest China

Abstract

Due to the importance of trees in urban ecosystems, it is crucial to understand the distribution, prevalence, and intensity of parasitic mistletoe infection across urban landscapes. In this study, we aimed to understand how various tree-related factors (e.g., tree taxonomy, size, pruning history, nativity, foliage, density, and diversity) might influence mistletoe prevalence and infection intensity across a typical subtropical urban greenspace. We surveyed 6,012 trees representing 96 species, 76 genera, and 44 families across a large, urban university campus in a major Southwest Chinese city. In total, we found 353 mistletoe host trees (prevalence: 5.87%), largely concentrated on the eastern part of campus, partially due to the proximity of waterbodies and a large adjacent greenspace, as well as higher tree density. To understand how predictors affected the prevalence and intensity of mistletoe infection, we used a hurdle model fitting our zero-inflated count data. Four independent variables significantly affected the prevalence of mistletoe infestation, with three demonstrating positive correlations (crown width, tree density, and tree diversity). One variable (evergreen foliage) negatively correlated with mistletoe prevalence. However, only one factor was found to significantly affect mistletoe infection intensity (crown width, positively). Due to the variety of ecosystem services mistletoes provide, more studies are necessary to assess the impact of various mistletoe management strategies, especially on urban biodiversity.