Phytophthora cinnamomi and Pythium spiculum as main agentsof Quercus decline in southern Spain and Portugal

Abstract: A severe decline affecting Iberian Quercus species has been reported since the early1990s in southern Spain and Portugal, leading to a widespread mortality of the evergreen Iberianoaks, Quercus suber and Q. ilex ssp. ballota (synonym: Q. rotundifolia). This work summarizesthe results obtained through several research projects carried out in southern Spain since 1997dealing with Iberian oak decline in managed forests and natural oak ecosystems, and the roleplayed by Phytophthora cinnamomi and Pythium spiculum as the main biotic factors associated.