ABSTRACT:The aim of this study is to select appropriate criteria such as ecology, economy, social and aesthetic for plantation in Isfahan city, Iran. In order to do this research, 19 questionnaires were distributed among the experts at the study area in 2013. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique as a multi-criteria decision making was used for evaluation of urban forestry at this research. Expert Choice software was used for analysis. The results showed that the ecological criterion has the highest weight for urban forestry at Isfahan city and the aesthetic criterion has the lowest priority for urban forestry at the study area. According to the judgments of the decision makers, results also showed that the large parks have the highest priority for urban forestry and street margins have the lowest priority for urban forestry and green space.

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The Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) is a conifer native to the Mediterranean region. In 2008 and 2009, a survey of Aleppo pine seedling diseases was performed in three forest nurseries from Relizane, Sidi Bel Abbes, and Tlemcen provinces in northwestern Algeria. Aleppo pine seedlings showed symptoms of pre- and post-emergence damping-off disease, with an incidence of 64 to 77%. Four composite samples were taken from each location. Disinfested root and root collar segments, approximately 5 mm in length, were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C, and hyphal tips were transferred to PDA. Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Sacc. (teleomorph: Gibberella intricans Wollenw.) was identified from roots of two seedlings from the Sidi Bel Abbes nursery. Morphological identification was done according to Fusarium keys (2). PDA colonies with abundant, loosely floccose, whitish aerial mycelium and beige pigmentation were observed. Macroconidia with usually 5 to 6 septa, 31 to 45 μm long. A pronounced dorsiventral curvature, tapered and elongated apical cell, and prominent foot shape were observed. Microconidia were absent. Chlamydospores were produced in hyphae, most often intercalary, solitary, in pairs, frequently forming chains or clusters, globose (7 to 13 μm). To confirm the identity of this fungus, the internal transcribed spacer of F3RS1 and F19RS1 isolates of F. equiseti were amplified and sequenced using ITS1 and ITS4 primers (4), GenBank accession nos. JX114784 and JX114791, respectively. Those sequences bore 100% (HQ671182) similarity with sequences of F. equiseti in GenBank. Pathogenicity tests were performed to fulfill Koch's postulates. Inoculum was produced by adding a 5-mm-diameter plug from a 7-day-old CMA petri dish culture to a previously sterilized 500 ml flask (237.5 g sand, 12.5 g cornmeal, 80 ml sterile distilled water), shaken over 9 days at 25°C, and mixed with sterile sandy clay soil at 1:3 (v:v). Infested soil was then transferred to 500 ml pots, and 10 Aleppo pine seeds were planted per pot. A completely randomized design was used with three replicates per isolate and three control pots with a similar non-infested soil. After 1 month at 25°C the two tested isolates caused typical damping-off symptoms (collar rot) on seedlings and were re-isolated from recently infected tissues. The percentages of the inoculated plants that became infected were 59 to 65% among isolates (0% in control pots). To our knowledge, infection by F. equiseti is a first report on Aleppo pine in northwestern Algeria, Northern Africa, and globally, and on conifers in the Mediterranean region (1,3). In Algeria, F. equiseti is associated with black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) (3). These findings highlight the moderate impact of F. equiseti on the production of Aleppo seedling stock for reforestation activities in northwestern Algeria. References: (1) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory. ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ , February 20, 2013. (2) J. F. Leslie and B. A. Summerell. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA, 2006. (3) D. W. Minter. Cybertruffle's Robigalia, Observations of Fungi and their Associated Organisms. Retrieved from http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/robigalia/eng/ , February 20, 2013. (4) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.

Globisporangium ultimum (Trow) Uzuhashi, Tojo & Kakish. (syn. Pythium ultimum Trow, syn. P. ultimum Trow var. ultimum) is a known oomycetal species from Pythium s.l. causing damping-off and/or root rot on a great variety of plants throughout the world, including some pine species (Pinus L.) and conifers (2,3). Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) is a common native forest tree in the Mediterranean region. Pre- and post-emergence damping-off disease symptoms were observed during 2008 and 2009 in four forest nurseries from northwestern Algeria (Relizane, Sidi Belabes, and Tlemcen departments). This disease occurred under cool conditions, and Aleppo pines were significantly affected, reducing seedling emergence. Disinfected segments, about 5 mm in length, from decayed root and collar, were cultured on CMA at 25°C. This oomycetal species was identified based on the species description in Pythium keys (3,4). For the molecular identification, PCR was used to amplify the ITS region of Pythium isolates. It was amplified with the flanking primers ITS1 and ITS4, and these products were directly sequenced. Sequence data were compared to known sequences deposited in the NCBI non redundant database to confirm morphological identification. A BLAST search identified U3CR, U7CR, U1RT, U2CR, U4CR, U14CR, U7RT, and U17RT isolates (GenBank Accession Nos. JX191921, 22, 27, 29, 31, and 33 to 35, respectively) as G. ultimum based on 100% similarity with corresponding sequence of the reference isolate no. UZ056 MAFF240024 (AB468781) (3). Phytopathogenicity testing was conducted in a petri dish and pot experiment. In the petri dish experiment, a 3 mm diameter plug was transferred from a 7-day-old CMA colony to the center of a CMA petri dish, with three replicates per isolate, and three control plates were inoculated with sterile agar plugs. After 72 h, 10 Aleppo pine seeds were placed equally spaced to 1 cm from the edge of each plug. After 7 days at 22°C in the dark, germination inhibition (46.1 to 87.6%) and root growth inhibition (62.3 to 92.2%) were calculated. In the control plates, germination failure (13.4%) and root length (27.7 cm) were observed. For the pot experiment, inocula were produced by adding a 5 mm diameter plug from a 7-day-old CMA culture to a previously sterilized 500 ml flask containing 237.5 g sand, 12.5 g cornmeal, and 80 ml SDW. Nine-day-old inoculum was mixed with sterile soil at a rate of 1:3 (v:v). Inoculum was transferred to 500 ml pot, and 10 Aleppo pine seeds were planted, with three replicates per isolate, and three control pots were used. After 2 weeks, all of the isolates tested caused typical symptoms of Aleppo pine Pythium damping-off, the percentage of inoculated plants that became infected was 36.6 to 83.3%. In the control pots, no infected plants were observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of G. ultimum causing damping-off on Aleppo pine in Algeria, Africa, and the Mediterranean Region. Before, Aleppo pine damping-off caused by G. ultimum was reported in Australia (1). References: (1) R. P. Cook and A. J. Dubé. Host-pathogen index of plant diseases in South Australia. SADA, Melbourne, Australia, 1989. (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory. ARS, USDA, Bestville, MD. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ , June 24, 2012. (3) S. Uzuhashi et al. Mycoscience 51:337, 2010. (4) A. J. van der Plaats-Niterink. Stud. Mycol. 21:1, 1981.

Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) is a common native coniferous tree in the natural forests of the Mediterranean region. In 2008 and 2009, a survey of Aleppo pine seedling diseases was performed in three forest nurseries from Relizane, Sidi Bel Abbes, and Tlemcen departments in northwestern Algeria. Aleppo pine seedlings showed symptoms of pre- and post-emergence damping-off, resulting in severe crop losses. The problem was widespread with a disease incidence of 64 to 77%. Fusarium redolens Wollenw. was isolated from Relizane and Sidi Bel Abbes forest nurseries. Disinfested root and root collar segments, approximately 5 mm in length, were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C. Morphological identification was done according to Fusarium keys (2). PDA colonies consisted of flat mycelium with sparse white aerial hyphae. Macroconidia with three to five septa, 24 to 43.8 μm long, widest upper third, hooked apical cell, and foot shaped basal cell were observed. Microconidia with zero to one septa, 6.8 to 10.4 μm long, oval to cylindrical, and produced on monophialides were also observed. Chlamydospores were produced abundantly in terminal and intercalary chains, in 3- to 4-week-old cultures. To confirm the identity of the fungus, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of F5RS3, F91SR, F55RS1, F8RS3, and F09SS1 isolates of F. redolens were amplified and sequenced using ITS 1 and ITS 4 primers (3). GenBank Accession Nos. are JX051323 to 26, and JX114783, respectively. Those sequences bore 99% (JF311916) and 100% (U34565) similarity with sequences of F. redolens in GenBank. A Fusarium pathogenicity assay was used to complete Koch's postulates. Inoculum was produced by adding a 5 mm diam. agar disc from a 7-day-old CMA petri dish culture to a previously sterilized 500 ml flask (237.5 g of sand, 12.5 g of cornmeal, and 80 ml of deionized H2O). Isolates were allowed to colonize the medium for 9 days, and flasks were shaken every day. The inoculum was mixed with sterile soil at a rate of 3:1 (v:v). Infested soil was then transferred to 500 ml pots, and 10 Aleppo pine seeds were planted. A completely randomized design was used with three replicates. After 1 month, all tested isolates caused typical damping-off symptoms on seedlings. The percentage of the inoculated plants that became infected was 53 to 91%. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. redolens being pathogenic on Aleppo pine in northwestern Algeria and throughout the world. In Algeria, F. redolens has been reported on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) (1), suggesting that it is adapted to the conditions of this area and could become a major threat to regional plant production. The annual economic impact of this disease was estimated at approximately US$50,000 per forest nursery. References: (1) N. Hamini-Kadar et al. New Dis. Rep. 22:3, 2010. (2) J. F. Leslie and B. A. Summerell. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa, 2006. (3) T. J. White et al. Pages 315-322 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.