Sezer Olivia Kaya

Sezer Olivia Kaya is a PhD student at the Forest Pathology research group at the Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre since 2022. Her research focuses on the current and future biotic threats to broadleaved tree species in Sweden.

Fast-growing broadleaved trees, such as birch, aspen, and poplar, are important for sustainable forestry and bioenergy production. However, damage caused by insects and fungi can reduce their growth, wood quality, and overall biomass potential. My PhD project aims to increase understanding of these biotic risks to help forest managers make informed decisions and prepare for potential future threats.

Research Focus:

Root rot in silver birch: Investigating the prevalence of Heterobasidion root rot in birch stumps after thinning and testing biological control treatments. 
Weevil damage to birch seedlings: Assessing how newly planted silver birch seedlings are affected by weevils, identifying the species involved, and testing the effectiveness of mechanical protection in reducing bark damage.
Future threats: bronze birch borer: Developing molecular tool to detect the exotic bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius), a potential pest not yet present in Europe, to increase preparedness and early detection capabilities.
Fungal communities in aspen, hybrid aspen, and poplar: Characterizing fungal diversity in different tree species and tissue types (sapwood vs. heartwood) to understand impacts on wood decay and biomass production.