Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

Root rot caused by Heterobasidion spp. is one of the most destructive diseases affecting temperate forest trees, resulting in substantial economic and environmental losses.

This review synthesizes current knowledge on the effects of climate change on the biology, epidemiology, and management of this pathogen under Polish conditions.

Key climatic drivers – rising mean temperatures, milder winters, prolonged droughts, and more frequent windthrows – extend the period of pathogen activity and increase the risk of stump and root infections. The paper discusses the seasonality of sporulation, root-to-root transmission, and environmental factors shaping the spatial dynamics of disease outbreaks. It further analyzes how temperature and precipitation anomalies weaken host physiology, enhancing susceptibility to infection. Optimal conditions for sporulation, mycelial growth, and fruiting are summarized, highlighting the projected shifts in infection risk under a warming climate. The review emphasizes the need to improve preventive biological control methods, particularly the widespread use of Phlebiopsis gigantea-based treatments, which are now the primary and recommended means of preventing stump infections by Heterobasidion annosum s.l. Finally, it advocates for integrated silvicultural and protection strategies – guided by climate projections and regional pathogen pressure scenarios – aimed at increasing forest resilience through species diversification, stand reconstruction, and adaptive management. The paper provides a scientific basis for developing adaptive forest management strategies in response to intensifying climatic and epidemiological threats from Heterobasidion spp.