Ecological Interactions and Climate-Driven Dynamics of Pine Wilt Disease: Implications for Sustainable Forest Management

Chong Kyu Lee, Hyun Kim and Man-Leung Ha ()
Additional contact information
Chong Kyu Lee: Division of Environmental and Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
Hyun Kim: Division of Environmental and Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
Man-Leung Ha: Division of Environmental and Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: This study investigated the distribution of pine wood nematodes (PWNs, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus ) and their co-occurrence with B. mucronatus in recently dead pine trees across coastal and inland regions while monitoring the seasonal emergence patterns of Monochamus alternatus from 2021 to 2023. Nematodes were extracted from felled trees and beetle bodies using the Baermann funnel method. Aggregation pheromone traps were used to monitor vector activity and to assess temperature-dependent emergence. The results showed a negative correlation between PWN and B. mucronatus density ( r = −0.73, p < 0.01), which prompted tests on interspecific interactions. M. alternatus emergence was positively associated with average temperature ( r = 0.74–0.78), supporting the temperature-informed surveillance timing in this dataset. These findings highlight the role of climate-driven dynamics in shaping vector behavior and nematode population structures. This study supports the development of sustainable temperature-responsive management strategies for controlling pine wilt disease. These strategies provide a foundation for climate-resilient forest health and long-term ecosystem sustainability.

Keywords: Bursaphelenchus xylophilus; Monochamus alternatus; nematode; pine wood; climate change; forest health; ecological pest management; biological interactions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8796/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8796/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:19:p:8796-:d:1762123

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().