Excerpt from Field Guide to the Common Diseases and Insect Pests of Oregon and Washington Conifers Phytophagous plant - eating) insects and tree pathogens (organisms that cause diseases of trees) are important components of coniferous forests in Washington and Oregon. They are most commonly known for causing individual tree-level impacts, such as growth reduction, breakage, deformity, and mortality. However, insects and pathogens do have significant...