Forest Phytophthoras, a new international journal and website

Background/Question/Methods

Oomycete plant pathogens in the genus Phytophthora threaten the biodiversity and sustainability of forest ecosystems worldwide. The new online journal, Forest Phytophthoras, was created to provide a permanent site for publication of peer-reviewed website articles with digital object identifier (DOI) numbers for archiving and retrieval. The journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The first issue is available at http://journals.oregondigital.org/ForestPhytophthora/issue/view/261. At the end of 2011 the first articles were published on five species of Phytophthora in forests around the world: P. austrocedrae, P. cambivora, P. lateralis, P. ramorum, and P. siskiyouenisis.

Results/Conclusions

The website, Forest Phytophthoras of the World [www.ForestPhytophthoras.org], is an international resource where scientists, students, forest managers, regulators, policy makers and the public can share the latest information on species of Phytophthora that affect the world’s forests. The website currently features profiles of ten forest Phytophthora species and the diseases they cause, with several additional species profiles to be added each year. Management and educational materials for each species are included, often in multiple languages. Other website features include a disease finder, an illustrated glossary, a photo gallery, and a section on Phytophthora “basics” to help inform non-experts. A searchable reference system with links to scientific publications is available. 

On the home page, a “What’s New” column highlights recent publications and news releases pertaining to forest Phytophthoras, and a calendar section announces upcoming conferences and other events. At the bottom of the page, you can link to a list of Phytophthora experts worldwide, access archived conference proceedings for the IUFRO Working Party on Phytophthoras in Forest and Natural Ecosystems, proceedings of the Sudden Oak Death Science Symposia, or view other Phytophthora web resources.

Funding for both projects is provided by a grant from the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA.  The journal is hosted by a joint project of the Oregon State and University of Oregon Libraries (OJS at OregonDigital.org).