Juha Kaitera, Tuula Piri, Minna Männistö, Sanna Vinblad, Heli Väätäjä, Kari Mäkitalo. (2026). Dogs can detect the rust fungus Cronartium pini in the forest. Silva Fennica vol. 60 no. 1 article id 25036. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.25036

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; Scots pine blister rust; alternate hosts; canine; resin-top disease; scent detection

Highlights: Dogs identified Cronartium pini spores, fruit bodies and young and old lesions; Dogs identified both heteroecious and autoecious Cronartium pini; Dogs identified Cronartium pini at the early epidemical stage of the disease; Dogs identified Cronartium pini from latent infections in alive shoots.

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Cronartium pini (Willd.) Jørst. is a major rust pathogen that kills especially Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Early diagnosis of the pathogen would reduce significant losses in managed forest productivity. Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris L.) with their accurate sense of smell have potential to detect forest pathogens at an early stage before they cause significant losses in forests. In this study, we tested in northern Finland whether trained volunteer dog-handler teams could identify infected wood, fruit bodies, spores or mycelia of C. pini in vitro and in vivo to facilitate early disease diagnosis. Volunteer dog-handler teams were able to indicate C. pini spores, fruit bodies and both fresh and old rust lesions on Scots pine including alive shoots, where the rust was present yet as latent. Five dogs out of five detected in vitro C. pini (both life-cycle forms), with 51% mean sensitivity and 58% mean precision. Four dogs out of four detected in vivo the autoecious life-cycle form of C. pini, with 95% mean sensitivity and 89% mean precision. In in vivo detection of the heteroecious life cycle form on pine, two dogs out of two performed with 78% mean sensitivity (100% precision). For identifying C. pini on alternate hosts in vivo, the mean sensitivity was 58% (precision 100%). Trained dog-handler pairs show promise as an aid in searching for C. pini especially in Scots pine stands at their early epidemical stage, but further testing is needed.

Kaitera, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Paavo Havaksen tie 3, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2549-7001 E-mail: juha.kaitera@luke.fi
Piri, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8690-3726 E-mail: tuula.piri@luke.fi
Männistö, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Ounasjoentie 6, FI-96200 Rovaniemi, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9390-1104 E-mail: minna.mannisto@luke.fi
Vinblad, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Jokiväylä 11 C, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1131-6143 E-mail: sanna.vinblad@lapinamk.fi
Väätäjä, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Jokiväylä 11 C, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3324-9497 E-mail: heli.vaataja@lapinamk.fi
Mäkitalo, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Ounasjoentie 6, FI-96200 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: kari.makitalo@luke.fi

article id 235, category Research article

Ari Nikula, Ville Hallikainen, Risto Jalkanen, Mikko Hyppönen, Kari Mäkitalo. (2008). Modelling the factors predisposing Scots pine to moose damage in artificially regenerated sapling stands in Finnish Lapland. Silva Fennica vol. 42 no. 4 article id 235. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.235

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; boreal forest; forestry; Alces alces; damage; modelling

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Moose (Alces alces) damage in forest plantations have been at a high level in Finland in recent decades. Nowadays, moose is the most severe pest in Scots pine plantations also in Finnish Lapland. So far, despite the high level of damage and different bio-geographical conditions in Northern Finland, most of the moose-damage research has been carried out in Southern Finland. A number of research have also been performed to analyse factors affecting browsing but predictive models are rare. Data from 123 randomly selected and artificially regenerated pine plantations in Northern Finland were used in modelling the risk of moose browsing. The stands had been regenerated during 1984–1995. A total of 508 sample plots (range 2–8 plots per stand) were measured. Hierarchical logistic regression models with a random factor were constructed to predict the probability of leader-shoot browsing of pine on a plot. The number of planted pines and deciduous trees overtopping the pines were the most important predictors increasing the browsing probability. The results support earlier findings that deciduous trees overtopping or reaching the height of the pines should be cleaned from the immediate vicinity of the pines. Seedlings with a height ranging from 75 to 299 centimetres were more susceptible to browsing. Heavy soil scarification, such as ploughing or mounding, increased the browsing probability compared with lighter scarification methods. Soil type did not affect the browsing probability, but paludification decreased it. The within-stand variation in deciduous trees density and height should be taken into account in future moose browsing risk assessments. In Lapland, high moose damage risk areas are characterized by a low elevation and higher temperature sum.

Nikula, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, Eteläranta 55, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: ari.nikula@metla.fi
Hallikainen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, Eteläranta 55, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: vh@nn.fi
Jalkanen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, Eteläranta 55, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: rj@nn.fi
Hyppönen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, Eteläranta 55, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: mh@nn.fi
Mäkitalo, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, Eteläranta 55, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: km@nn.fi

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