Pine Wilt Disease: A Worldwide Threat to Forest Ecosystems
The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD), is a serious pest and pathogen of forest tree species, in particular among the genus Pinus. It was first reported from Japan in the beginning of the XXth
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Manuel M. Mota · Paulo Vieira Editors
Pine Wilt Disease: A Worldwide Threat to Forest Ecosystems
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Editors Manuel M. Mota ´ ICAM – Universidade de Evora Portugal
ISBN: 978-1-4020-8454-6
Paulo Vieira ´ ICAM – Universidade de Evora Portugal
e-ISBN: 978-1-4020-8455-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008927741 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.
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Preface
Pine wilt disease (PWD) is unquestionably a major threat to forest ecosystems worldwide. After seriously affecting Eastern Asian countries, the challenge is now in Europe, following its detection in Portugal in 1999 and its subsequent spread. For foresters, these were really very bad news and, in order for adequate action to be taken, scientists had to teach politicians about the seriousness of the problem. That is never an easy task, but it was successfully done at that time, mainly by the continued effort of Professor Manuel Mota. The challenge of having political decisions based on good science is fundamental for the success of any program, but especially in difficult situations such as those arising by the introduction of harmful organisms in new ecosystems. The success of the dialogue between science and policy requires intelligent partners from each side, which is not always necessarily the case. . . Examples of lack of recognition of problems raised by science are unfortunately abundant throughout the history of science. The recent recognition of the efforts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore with the Nobel Prize, and the continued failure in taking appropriate actions by major political players is a dramatic modern example of the difficulty of this dialogue. . . These are some of the reasons why I think that this book plays a fundamental role in the issue of pine wilt disease: Firstly, the book addresses a very important problem that threatens the ecological and economical balance of many forested areas worldwide. Secondly, it assembles contributions of the best specialists worldwide in the various facets of the problem. Thirdly, it summarises knowledge in an attempt to make it useful for adequate action. Finally, it provides insights for future developments in scientific research. I had already the privilege of addressing some words of recognition to the participants of the PWD Conference at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon in July 2006 where I was very much impressed with the importance and the quality of the contributions. As Director of the Portuguese Forest Services (DGRF) at that time and until November 2007, I must stress that this
