Cross-Ecosystem Transmission of Pathogens from Crops to Natural Vegetation

Cross-ecosystem transmission of plant pathogens from crops to natural forests is increasingly recognized as a key factor in disease emergence and biodiversity loss. Agricultural systems serve as major sources of inoculum, with landscape interfaces—such as crop–forest edges, riparian zones, abandoned orchards, and nursery–wildland transitions—acting as active epidemiological gateways. Biological vectors, abiotic dispersal, and human activities collectively enable pathogen movement across these boundaries. Host-range expansion, recombination, and hybridization allow pathogens to infect both cultivated and wild hosts, leading to generalist and recombinant lineages that survive across diverse habitats. In natural ecosystems, such introductions can alter community composition, decrease resilience, and intensify the impacts of climate-driven stress. Advances in molecular diagnostics, genomic surveillance, environmental DNA, and remote sensing–GIS (Geographic Information System) approaches now enable high-resolution detection of pathogen flow across landscapes. Incorporating these tools into interface-focused monitoring frameworks offers a pathway to earlier detection, better risk assessment, and more effective mitigation. A One Health, landscape-based approach that treats agro–wild interfaces as key control points is essential for reducing spillover risk and safeguarding both agricultural productivity and the health of natural forest ecosystems.