Matteo Garbelotto

Cooperative Extension Specialist, Adjunct Professor

Research Interests / Specializations:

Forest pathology, forest mycology, forest and tree management

Research Description:

EXOTIC FOREST DISEASES: we are interested in uncovering the mechanisms behind invasions by exotic forest pathogens, and we use molecular tools to understand their biology, ecology, and epidemiology. We are currently working on Sudden Oak Death, Phytophthora cinnamomi and Pine Pitch Canker in California, and on Cypress Canker and Heterobasidion invasions in Europe. FUNGAL ECOLOGY: we are using beneficial and pathogenic fungi as model systems to understand issues of isolation by distance, island biogeography and community structure in relations to habitat size and age. We have projects in Central American mangroves, Matsutake mushrooms worldwide and Truffles is Europe. BIODIVERSITY and ALL TAXA INVENTORIES: we are interested in describing biodiversity and conservation of natural resources: the two major projects are BARCODING THE VENICE FUNGAL HERBARIUM and BIOCODE (Fungi) in the island of Moorea. We also use population genetics and phylogeographic studies to highlight how genetic diversity is structured (and ought to be maintained) within species. MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS, GENOMICS: our lab is at the forefront of testing the efficacy, sensitivity and reliability of new diagnostic tools for the detection and study of forest diseases. We are also involved in the genomic unraveling of two fungi: Phytophthora ramorum and Heterobasidion irregularis (H. annosum). MANAGEMENT OF FOREST DISEASES: we are studying the efficacy and longevity of direct chemical controls on forest diseases, with an emphasis on phosphonates because of their absence of environmental side effects. We are also interested in learning how horticultural (e.g. pruning, composting) and silvicultural (e.g. thinning) approaches may affect the epidemiology and impact of forest diseases. We are interested in detecting possible natural resistance or tolerance to Sudden Oak Deaths in oaks, tanoaks and California Bay laurel. NATIVE FOREST DISEASES and INTERACTIONS WITH INSECTS: we are interested in relationships between the airspora and infection by root rot organisms, on the effects of stump creation on root rots and on the role played by insect in vectoring vascular diseases such as blackstain root disease. Learn more about our research in the Forest Pathology and Mycology Lab website.

Selected Publications

Davidson, J. M.; Garbelotto, M.; Hansen, E. M.; Reeser, P.; Rizzo, D. M. (2002 Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society Milwaukee, WI, USA July 27-31, 2002). Another canker-causing Phytophthora from California and Oregon forest trees. In: Phytopathology June, 2002. 92 (6 Supplement): S17-S18. Gonthier, P.; Garbelotto, M.; Nicolotti, G.. European pines may be simultaneously infected by more than one species of Heterobasidion. In: Plant Disease July, 2002. 86 (7): 814. Rizzo, David M.; Garbelotto, Matteo; Davidson, Jennifer M.; Slaughter, Garey W.; Koike, Steven T. Ecological Society of America. (86th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America Madison, Wisconsin, USA August 05-10, 2001). Recently discovered Phytophthora species may underlie epidemic oak mortality in California. In: Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting Abstracts 2001. 86 190. Rizzo, D. M.; Garbelotto, M.; Davidson, J. M.; Slaughter, G. W.; Koike, S. T.. Phytophthora ramorum as the cause of extensive mortality of Quercus spp. and Lithocarpus densiflorus in California. In: Plant Disease March, 2002. 86 (3): 205-214. Gonthier, Paolo; Garbelotto, Matteo; Varese, Giovanna Cristina; Nicolotti, Giovanni. Relative abundance and potential dispersal range of intersterility groups of eterobasidion annosum in pure and mixed forests. In: Canadian Journal of Botany September, 2001. 79 (9): Garbelotto, M.; Rizzo, D. M.; Davidson, J. M. (Joint Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, the Mycological Society of America, and the Society of Nematologists Salt Lake City, Utah, USA August 25-29, 2001). Studies in the genetics of a new Phytophthora species associated with Sudden Oak Death in California. In: Phytopathology June, 2001. 91 (6 Supplement): S110. Garbelotto, M.; Rizzo, D. M. (Joint Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, the Mycological Society of America, and the Society of Nematologists Salt Lake City, Utah, USA August 25-29, 2001). Preliminary studies on chemical and cultural control of Phytophthora associated with sudden oak death. In: Phytopathology June, 2001. 91 (6 Supplement): S30. 1057-1065. Garbelotto, M., Svhira P., and D. Rizzo. 2001 Sudden oak death syndrome in California. Perspective on potential control of a new disease. California Agriculture, In Press Garbelotto, M.; Chapela, I.. First report of Heterobasidion annosum on the endemic Abies hickeli of Southern Mexico. In: Plant Disease Septmeber, 2000. 84 (9): 1047. Garbelotto M., Cobb F. W., Bruns T. D., Otrosina W. J., Popenuck T., and Slaughter G. 1999. The genetic structure of Heterobasidion annosum in white fir mortality centers in California. Phytopathology: 89 (7): 546-554. Garbelotto, M., Otrosina W.J., Cobb F. W., and T. D. Bruns 1998. The European S and F intersterility groups of Heterobasidion annosum may represent sympatric protospecies. Canadian Journal of Botany 76: 397-409. Bruns, T D; Szaro, T M; Gardes, M; Cullings, K W; Pan, J J; Taylor, D L; Horton, T R; Kretzer, A; Garbelotto, M; Li, Y. 1998. A sequence database for the identification of ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes by phylogenetic analysis. Molecular Ecology 7: 257-272. Garbelotto, M., Slaughter, G., Popenuck, T., Cobb, F. W., and T. D. Bruns 1996. Secondary spread of Heterobasidion annosum in white fir root-disease centers. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 27: 766-773. Garbelotto, M., Lee, H. K., Slaughter, G., Popenuck, T., Cobb, F. W., and T. D. Bruns 1997. Heterokaryosis is not required for virulence of Heterobasidion annosum isolates. Mycologia, 89: 92-102. Garbelotto, M., Ratcliff, A., Bruns, T. D., Cobb, F. W., Jr., and Otrosina, W. J. 1995. Use of taxon specific competitive priming PCR to study host specificity, hybridization, and intergroup gene flow. Phytopathology 86: 543-551. Garbelotto, M., Bruns, T. D., Cobb, F. W., and Otrosina, W. J. 1993. Differentiation of intersterility groups and geographic provenances among isolates of Heterobasidion annosum detected by random polymorphic DNA assays. Can. J. Bot. 71: 565-569.348.

Recent Teaching: