Answers on a post card please.........2

[Jack]

Right. This time it's going to be a bit slicker and it's going to be three questions;

1) What is Dutch Elm Disease

2) How is it transmitted from tree to tree

3) How good is it for fire wood.


Best wishes.

Jack.

PS. If you have any questions to go up in here then email them over to me and don't forget to keep posting your questions/quiries/observations or anything else in the woodland section, that's what it is here for.

 

[Adi007]

Hee hee ... I think I can answer 2 of the three :-D

Dutch elm disease is a fungal disease (Ophiostoma ulmi) that attacks elms and is spread by bark beetles (Scolytus scolytus and Scolytus multistriatus). The spores of the fungus are sticky and so it sticks to the beetle and it passed around that way.

As for firewood, I'm guessing but moving diseased wood about and keeping it for firewood might not be a good idea. :?: Not sure on that one though.

 

[Nod]

Right then, I think I know this too, but not the latin names like you know Adi.....oh and thanks for the directions Adi.
1:Fungus
2:Bark Beetles
3:For fire wood, I'd have a guess and say, it's really good, because the fungus somehow makes it burn really hot. ( OK so I don't really know, but it's quite a good guess i think!!)

Just out of interest, how did they dispose of the wood from infected trees?

 

[NickBristol]

Just been reading about DED on an Alberta Government website that they recommend burning or burying (>25cm depth) so I'd guess that it makes good firewood but I agree with Adi about the transport of infected wood.

 

[Nod]

Ok then Nick, good job, so I'd like to adjust my 3rd answer to:

3: Good firewood, but burn it on site and don't move it. :-D

 

[Roving Rich]

Its a fungal infection that clogs the arteries (sorry not a botanist) that carry sap up the tree.
This means that the Elm trees can only grow to a small height as they can pump the sap no further and dye off.
Its spread by beetles. I was told they arrived in wood imported from Holland, hence Dutch elm disease (not sure if its true)
Its good news for firewood. I lived by Elm wood fires for year or 2. As i could scavenge the standing dead elms from the hedgerows, saw em up quick and carry em home. They burn well and last for hours. Plus the small diameter caused by the disease meant I didn't have to split them.
Elm was reputed as the hardest of logs to split, shame I'll never get to test that, but good news if your burning them.
Cheers
Rich

 

[Keith_Beef]

Right. This time it's going to be a bit slicker and it's going to be three questions;

1) What is Dutch Elm Disease

2) How is it transmitted from tree to tree

3) How good is it for fire wood.


Best wishes.

Jack.

PS. If you have any questions to go up in here then email them over to me and don't forget to keep posting your questions/quiries/observations or anything else in the woodland section, that's what it is here for.

1. It's a fungal disease that attacks elms.

2. carried by beetles (the disease).

3. Dutch Elm Disease is not much use as firewood. Diseased elms should be burned, as should witches, to try to prevent the spread of the disease.


Keith.

 

[grumit]

1 it is a fungal desease that kills off elm tree's so called as it was first found by the dutch
2 it is passed by elm beatle that boar into the bark of the tree
3 most peaple here burn it as most of the elm's in guersey are already dead
(but you should burn them to stop the spread)

 

[Stew]

Well I guess that one was fairly easy for most people!


Just a few questions of my own as I don't quite understand what the "status" of Elm is at the moment.

Does it affect all elm trees?

Are there still a fair number of elm trees around?

Do they still grow but have stunted growth then die or are they slowly becoming extinct? (although it could be both, I suppose)

 

[NickC]

well you did ask...

There are 2 forms of DED (Ophiostoma ulmi and Ophiostoma nova-ulmi). Ophiostoma nova-ulmi is the one that we have all heard about since the 70s and is fatal on all European & American Elm species. Some Asian Elms appear to be less susceptible.

Basically the fungi is transmitted by the Elm Bark Beetle (Scolytus scolytus) when the adults fly to live elms to feed on the twig crotches. The fungi then attacks and eventually kills the tree. The adult beetles then search out dead wood to lay eggs - the larve then create the feeding galleries which everybody identifies with DED. After pupating the beetle emergies and carries the fungi spores onto another host and it all starts again.

If you are burning the elm straight away then this is OK, but transporting or storage should be avoided (especially around the Brighton area where it is illegal) as this just helps the spread of the disease.

cheers

Nick

 

[Roving Rich]

:biggthump :notworthy
Nice one NickC,
You must be fairly local to me, near Maidenhead ?
I would like to see those last surviving Elms down in Brighton, Near the Pavillion aren't they?
Cheers
Rich

 

[Jack]

Nice one everyone!

Must just add that in my personal opinion, Elm is one of, if not the best firewood you will get. It burns hard and it burns bright. It is light to carry but as anyone will know who has tried, it is one of the hardest woods to split once it is seasoned, it is harder than Beech!

 

[joe.ford]

Oooh I just done this at Writtle college hope I get some right

1. bit hasey on what it is, is it a disease that kills em maybe fungal (lol)

2.its carried by a mean little bug and so our tutor says, (you'll laugh at this hehe) they supposedly fly at a certain height so if you pollard them or coppice them apparently survive.

3.Its wood so I'm pretty sure it burns :rolmao: but doesn't it spit, or is that something else ??