Viruses as components of forest microbiome

This chapter will cover the essential knowledge on viruses of forest trees and their insect pests, pathogens, and other associated fungi, oomycetes, and bacteria. The virus communities infecting these phylogenetically divergent host organisms are mostly highly different, but such constraints are not strict during the evolution. Although usually associated with diseases on their hosts, viruses also play important roles in shaping forest ecosystems, and hold a great commercial promise for biocontrol applications.