The fungus Heterobasidion annosum is, in economic terms, the most important causal agent of disease and of yield loss in coniferous trees in northern temperate regions. This is the first book which brings together and summarises the considerable amount of knowledge which has been gathered about all aspects of this disease. It has been prepared and published with support from the European Union, under the Agriculture and Agro- Industrial Research (AAIR) programme. Drawing on over 2,000 research papers and books published from the early nineteenth century to the present day, the book covers topics which include the history, detection, biology, taxonomy and distribution of H. annosum. It provides the latest information on infection, host resistance, the biochemistry of the host-parasite interaction, molecular and genetic regulation of the host response and methods of control. It concludes with a series of case studies from Europe and North America. This book is an indispensable source of information for all those involved in the management of coniferous forests and plantations wishing to reduce the impact of this disease on yields. It should also become the accepted text for students of forestry and plant pathology studying H. annosum, and an invaluable reference manual for scientists researching this, and other fungal tree diseases.