Armillaria melleaand Decline of Red Spruce

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Abstract
Roots of 288 red spruce trees in mixed hardwood, transitional and montane boreal forest in New England and New York were excavated and examined for colonization by A. mellea. The fungus was associated with declining and dead spruce in all locations. The percentage of roots colonized by the fungus increased with increasing severity of decline symptoms but decreased with increasing elevation. In high-elevation boreal forests, where the decline has been documented to be most intense, 75% of the recently dead and severely declining trees were not colonized by A. mellea. Although A. mellea is involved in red spruce decline, it is not the major cause of the current regional episode of spruce decline and mortality.