Occurence of phytophthora species in European forests

The currently known distribution in Europe of Phytophthora species of threat to forest trees is summarized. Although many species of Phytophthora have been identified in European forests to date, including the potentially highly destructive P. cinnamomi and P. ramorum, with increased investigation of the soil microbial communities in forests, further hitherto unrecognised species have been found. Several species are known to cause severe disease syndromes; other species appear to be involved in pathogen complexes and may be partly responsible for forest decline syndromes. This presentation discusses the known range of Phytophthora species in Europe from the maritime climates of the west, into the continental climate of Russia and considers the potential changes in impact of different Phytophthora in the context of climate change.