EN
Oak decline is insufficiently described problem. Declining oaks are in various age and the most commonly observed symptoms of the disease include growth inhibition and buds mortality. The dieback occurs periodically, mainly because of the impact of abiotic factors (drought, frost and the lowering of the groundwater level). In this complex phenomenon the biological factors, including numerous species of Chromista (Chromalveolata) and fungi play important role as well. The list of pathogens responsible for the dieback includes numerous species of Pythium and Phytophthora, as well as Biscogniauxia, Discula, Pleurophoma, Botryosphaeria and Diplodia. Among other organisms responsible for the oak decline are fungi belonging to Fusarium species. The aim of this study was to investigate the species composition of pathogens colonizing the dying oak buds including undeveloped or dying shoots obtained from Łomża, Rudka and Czarna Biało− stocka forest districts (eastern Poland). Sampling of symptomatic shoots of Quercus robur L. was performed in 2013, respecting different parts of tree crowns (top, central and bottom). Mycological material for analysis included mycelium growing on dying shoots after incubation in a chamber and tissue collected from symptomatic shoots and placed on PDA medium. For selected isolates of fungi the identification was confirmed by the PCR analysis using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. Among analyzed fungi Fusarium spp., Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Botryosphaeria quercuum and Coniothyrium spp. required special attention. The Fusarium spp. group of fungi dominated with an average frequency of 32%. The molecular analysis revealed the presence of several species including Fusarium avenaceum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Lophiostoma corticola and Nectria mauritiicola.