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Forests
Special Issues
Health and Disease Management of Urban Forest Trees
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Health and Disease Management of Urban Forest Trees

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 942

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Miłosz Tkaczyk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Diagnosticlab IBL, Department of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Sękocin Stary, Poland
Interests: plant pathology; microbiology; plant protection; forestry; trees; biological control of plant diseases; fungi; oomycetes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Katarzyna Sikora

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, Braci leśnej 3, 05-090 Sękocin Stary, Poland
Interests: PCR; molecular biology; microbial molecular biology; gel electrophoresis; DNA; RNA extraction; dna isolation; electrophoresis; pathogens; phytopathology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban forests play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life in cities by improving air quality, reducing heat island effects, supporting biodiversity, and contributing to human well-being. However, urban trees are increasingly threatened by a wide range of biotic and abiotic stressors, including pests, pathogens, pollution, soil compaction, drought, and climate change. The altered growing conditions typical of urban environments often predispose trees to disease and make diagnosis and management particularly challenging.

This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and practical approaches related to the health and disease management of trees in urban and peri-urban areas. We welcome contributions addressing topics such as disease diagnosis and monitoring, epidemiology, interactions between pathogens and environmental stressors, tree resistance and resilience, and innovative management practices, including remote sensing and digital tools.

We encourage submissions from researchers, urban foresters, arborists, and plant health professionals working at the intersection of urban ecology, pathology, and forest management. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary platform to support science-based decision-making in maintaining the vitality and sustainability of urban forests worldwide.

Dr. Miłosz Tkaczyk
Dr. Katarzyna Sikora
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban forestry
  • tree diseases
  • forest pathology
  • tree health monitoring
  • biotic and abiotic stressors
  • climate change and tree health
  • disease management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 1702 KB  
Communication
Urban Pathways of Oomycete Dissemination: A Case Study from Warsaw Parks
by Miłosz Tkaczyk and Katarzyna Sikora
Forests 2025, 16(11), 1736; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16111736 - 17 Nov 2025
Viewed by 528
Abstract
Urban green spaces are essential components of city ecosystems, providing environmental and social benefits while simultaneously serving as potential entry points for invasive plant pathogens. In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward the role of urban environments as reservoirs and transmission [...] Read more.
Urban green spaces are essential components of city ecosystems, providing environmental and social benefits while simultaneously serving as potential entry points for invasive plant pathogens. In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward the role of urban environments as reservoirs and transmission corridors for oomycetes, a group of highly destructive microorganisms affecting trees and shrubs. This study aimed to investigate the diversity and potential introduction pathways of oomycetes in three Warsaw parks representing distinct ecological settings: a historical city park, a large landscape park with aquatic features, and a newly constructed linear park. Samples of soil, and surface water were collected and analysed using standard isolation and molecular identification methods. Four species were identified: Phytophthora cactorum, P. cambivora, Phytopythium vexans, and Ph. montanum—the latter two representing first records for urban parks in Poland. The results indicate that nursery plant material, surface water systems, and wildlife activity, particularly birds, are likely contributors to the introduction and spread of these pathogens in city landscapes. The findings underscore the growing phytosanitary risk associated with urban greenery, where the interplay of anthropogenic disturbance, high plant turnover, and complex hydrological networks facilitates pathogen establishment. This research highlights the urgent need to integrate urban biosecurity strategies with routine molecular monitoring, nursery inspections, and wildlife surveillance to limit further dissemination of invasive oomycetes and enhance the resilience of urban tree populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Disease Management of Urban Forest Trees)
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