Ukrainian Journal of Forest and Wood Science

Phellinus hartigii in the structure of the pathological background of fir stands

Ivanna Kulbanska*, Petro Plikhtiak, Myroslava Soroka

i_kulbanska@ukr.net

Download article
Abstract

Phellinus hartigii is a xylotrophic basidiomycete widely associated with coniferous species; however, its functional role in the processes affecting the biotic stability of coniferous tree species, particularly Abies alba in the Carpathian region, remains insufficiently understood. The aim of this study was to determine the pathological significance of Phellinus hartigii as a factor contributing to the structural and physiological destabilisation of stands involving Abies alba within the Pokuttia Carpathians. The research was based on the results of phytosanitary surveys of forest stands using the sample plot method. Species identification of mycopathogens was carried out according to the morphological characteristics of basidiomes and mycelium, as well as the nature of wood damage. It was established that Phellinus hartigii causes heart rot and heartwood-sapwood white corrosive rot, characterised by distinct demarcation zones and the formation of a fibrous wood structure at the early stages of decay. The pathological process was localised mainly in the middle section of the stem, affecting sapwood tissues and spreading basipetally towards the base of the tree with subsequent transition into the root section of the stem. Such changes lead to a substantial reduction in the mechanical stability of trees and increase their susceptibility to windbreak and windthrow. The development of rot was found to be closely associated with areas of prior anatomical and physiological destabilisation of tissues, particularly canker lesions and zones altered by bacterial infections. The interaction of fungal and bacterial pathologies forms a complex pathological background. The activity of the pathogen is manifested not only in the destruction of wood in individual trees but also in the formation of structural changes within forest stands, which is of considerable importance for assessing the stability of forest ecosystems. The practical value of the study lies in the use of the identified pathological features for the early diagnosis of Phellinus hartigii infection during forest pathological monitoring and for predicting the loss of mechanical stability in fir stands, thereby providing a basis for substantiating sanitary and silvicultural measures

Keywords

Abies alba; wood-decaying fungi; white rot; degradation; pathological changes

Suggested citation
Kulbanska, I., Plikhtiak, P., & Soroka, M. (2026). Phellinus hartigii in the structure of the pathological background of fir stands. Ukrainian Journal of Forest and Wood Science, 17(2), 6-23. https://doi.org/10.31548/forest/2.2026.06
References
  1. Andjièrèyir, K.S., Samson, N., Sylvie, N.R., Benovana, B., Edouard, S.K.J., Kounbo, D., & Elise, S. (2024). Taxonomic study of five parasitic polypores of the Hymenochaetaceae family of TIN vegetation in Western Burkina Faso. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 15, 441-454. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2024.156031.
  2. Baranowska, M., Barzdajn, W., Korzeniewicz, R., Kowalkowski, W., Łukowski, A., Behnke-Borowczyk, J., Memišević, & Hodžić, M. (2023). The Community of Fine Root Fungi of Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) Saplings. South-east European Forestry, 14(2): 183-195. doi: 10.15177/seefor.23-13.
  3. Bledý M., Vacek S., Brabec P., Vacek Z., Cukor J., Černý J., Ševčík R., & Brynychová K. (2024). Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.): Review of ecological insights, forest management strategies, and climate change’s impact on european forests. Forests. 15(6):998. doi: 10.3390/f15060998.
  4. Bohoslavets, O.M., & Prydiuk, M.P. (2023). Some wood-inhabiting Basidiomycota from the primeval forests with Pinus cembra in Ukraine. Ukrainian Botanical Journal, 80(5), 399-408. doi: 10.15407/ukrbotj80.05.399.
  5. Convention on Biological Diversity. (1992, May). Retrieved from: https://surl.li/dpmeku.
  6. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (1973, March). Retrieved from https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php.
  7. Esperon-Rodriguez, M., Tjoelker, M.G., Lenoir, J., Baumgartner, J.B., Beaumont, L.J., Nipperess, D.A., Power, S.A., Richard, B., Rymer, P.D., & Gallagher, R.V. (2022). Climate change increases global risk to urban forests. Nature Climate Change, 12(10), 950-955. doi: 10.1038/s41558-022-01465-8.
  8. Fischer, M. (2023). Phellinus igniarius (hardwood trunk rot). CABI Compendium, article number 40148. doi: 10.1079/cabicompendium.40148.
  9. Gafforov, Y., Yarasheva, M., Wang, X.W., Rašeta, M., Rakhimova, Y., Kyzmetova, L., & Zhou, L.W. (2025). Annotated checklist of poroid Hymenochaetoid fungi in Central Asia: Taxonomic diversity, ecological roles, and potential distribution patterns. Journal of Fungi, 11(1), article number 37. doi: 10.3390/jof11010037.
  10. Hartmann, H., et al. (2022). Climate change risks to global forest health: Emergence of unexpected events of elevated tree mortality worldwide. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 73, 673-702. doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-102820-012804.
  11. He, X., & Zhao, C.-L. (2022). Diversity of Wood-Decaying Fungi in Wuliangshan Area, Yunnan Province, P.R. China. Diversity, 14(2), article number 131. doi: 10.3390/d14020131.
  12. Index Fungorum. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.indexfungorum.org.
  13. International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/main.php.
  14. Kholiavchuk, D., Gurgiser, W., & Mayr, S. (2023). Carpathian forests: Past and recent developments. Forests, 15(1), article number 65. doi: 10.3390/f15010065.
  15. Kumari, A., Harsh, N.S.K., & Singh, A.N. (2021). Host range of Phellinus sensu lato in India: An overview. Journal of Applied & Natural Science, 13(1). doi: 10.31018/jans.v13i1.2510.
  16. Michel, A., Haggenmüller, K., Kirchner, T., Prescher, A.-K., Schwärzel, K., & Wohlgemuth, L., (Eds.). (2024). Forest condition in Europe: The 2024 assessment. CITESs technical report under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention). Eberswalde: Thünen Institute. doi: 10.3220/ICPTR1732702585000.
  17. Palm-Hellenurm, K., Bāders, E., Frelich, L.E., Köster, K., Metslaid, M., Polyachenko, O., & Jõgiste, K. (2024). The fate of remnant trees after wind disturbances in boreal and temperate forests. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 7, article number 1405430. doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2024.1405430.
  18. Senf, C., & Seidl, R. (2021). Mapping the forest disturbance regimes of Europe. Nature Sustainability, 4, 63-70. doi: 10.1038/s41893-020-00609-y.
  19. Soroka, M., Wozniak, A., Hoychuk, A., Oniskiv, A., & Plikhtyak, P. (2019). Phytocoenotic preconditions of drying of Abies alba Mill. dieback in the forest cenoses of the Pokut Carpathians. Proceedings of the Forestry Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 18, 21-34. doi: 10.15421/411902.
  20. Świderski, G., et al. (2025). Bioactive properties of selected European phellinus species: A comprehensive study. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(16), article number 8013. doi: 10.3390/ijms26168013.
  21. The world of mushrooms in Ukraine. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gribi.net.ua/.
  22. Vazquez-Armenta, F.J., Leyva, J.M., Mata-Haro, V., Gonzalez-Aguilar, G.A., Cruz-Valenzuela, M.R., Esqueda, M., & Ayala-Zavala, J.F. (2022). Phenolic compounds of Phellinus spp. with antibacterial and antiviral activities. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 53(3), 1187-1197. doi: 10.1007/s42770-022-00745-x.
  23. Wu, F., Zhou, L. W., Vlasák, J., & Dai, Y.C. (2022). Global diversity and systematics of Hymenochaetaceae with poroid hymenophore. Fungal Diversity, 113(1), 1-192. doi: 10.1007/s13225-021-00496-4.
  24. Zerova, M.Ya., Radziievskyi, H.H., & Shevchenko, S.V. (1972). Guide to the fungi of Ukraine. Basidiomycetes (Vol. 5, Book 1). Kyiv: Naukova Dumka.
  25. Zhu, L., Ji, X., Si, J., & Cui, B. K. (2018). Morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis reveal a new species of Phellinus with hooked hymenial setae from Vietnam. Phytotaxa, 356(1), 91-99. doi: 10.11646/phytotaxa.356.1.8.