Sooty mold deposition and leaf-level light attenuation beneath trees infested with Lycorma delicatula

Sooty mold colonizes honeydew excreted by Lycorma delicatula during feeding, shading leaf surfaces. This study investigated the spatial "footprint" of sooty mold in understories of forests infested by L. delicatula , and how sooty mold coverage on leaves affects light transmission. Sooty mold accumulation decreased with increasing distance from the trunk to the canopy edge but was highly variable among trees. Light transmission decreased by 0.36% for every 1% increase in sooty mold coverage. A better understanding of the impacts of sooty mold in the understory is necessary, as understory woody regeneration shapes the long-term future of eastern forests.