Invasive species and global climate change.

Chapter 3 (Page no: 22)

Climate change and plant pathogen invasions.

Climate has an important effect on plant disease, and the probability of plant pathogen invasions, through effects on hosts, pathogens and pathogen vectors. Pathogens dispersed by wind are an important group, and their dispersal and invasion may be modified by changes in wind patterns. Pathogens vectored by arthropods may be affected by the response of their vectors to weather, often through the filter of vector behavior. Soilborne pathogens have more challenges to rapid invasion, but human transport can quickly introduce them into novel settings. Invasions of new pathogen genotypes are often important, even if the species is already widespread, when new genotypes can overcome host resistance genes or have pesticide resistance. Landscape connectivity, as experienced by a dispersing pathogen, is a function of the spatial availability of host(s), the dispersal ability of the pathogen and suitable environmental conditions, so connectivity may also be affected by climate change. Therefore, when there is a new invasion, it is often challenging to evaluate which of these factors was limiting prior to invasion. Most economically important pathogen invasions are strongly influenced by human decision making. Mitigation and adaptation strategies are needed both to address potential increased disease risk and to manage pathogen species and important subpopulations before they are introduced and established.

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