Fungal pathogen dynamics under climate change (FUNGAME)

Fungal plant pathogens can adapt to climate change if they can sense environmental shifts and respond accordingly. FUNGAME will

produce new information on how opportunistic fungal pathogens with an endophytic lifestyle respond to these changes. This response

may either enhance their adaptation (e.g., better establishment) or lead to competitive loss to more resilient fungi. Understanding this is

crucial for tree health, ecosystem stability, and biodiversity, as their behaviour influences emerging threats and outbreak management.

We will use a new model of ascomycete opportunistic plant pathogens of conifer trees, emerging Diplodia sapinea and well-established

Gremmeniella abietina, to clarify the processes in fungal pathogens niche competition following climate change and to contextualize

them within broader natural frameworks.

FUNGAME will produce groundbreaking findings on dynamics of fungal pathogens in response to climate change, and how this niche

competition and adaptation modify their interactions with other microbes (mycoviruses and fungi) and host organisms. We will apply

state-of-the-art-methods within and across species that are well-adapted (thrives in higher temperatures) versus poorly adapted. The

findings from our research will enhance our understanding and ability to predict pathogen behavior under climate change. These results

will provide valuable knowledge for the broader scientific community, fostering cross-disciplinary studies in plant pathology, climate

science, and fungal ecology. Furthermore, these findings are crucial for maintaining tree health, ecosystem stability, and biodiversity, as

they directly inform strategies for managing emerging threats to forests—vital components of societal well-being and climate regulation.

Expected results include identifying conditions favouring Diplodia sapinea over Gremmeniella abietina, understanding the impact of

mycoviruses on fungal competition, and understanding the molecular change in D. sapinea following trophic mode change. The new

information will contribute to practical solutions for forest health, including improved disease management, early-warning systems, and adaptation

strategies to ensure sustainable forestry and biodiversity conservation