sudden oak death

[baz p]

well I'm sure we have all watched the news today or read the papers about the phytophthora ramorum "sudden oak death" virus that has hit the UK,

basically i would like to know what other peoples views about the situation are as we all spend some time in the forests around the UK, and what people think we as a bushcraft community can do to help or even prevent this disease from spreading.

is it something to be concerned about or is it a lot of hype about nothing ?

 

[MSkiba]

Here's a link for those who havent caught up on this story :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-12134772

 

[treelore]

It’s something we really need to be concerned about. It has hit large parts of Cornwall and South Wales and is still spreading and needs to be stopped. phytophthora ramorum if it mutates as virus do then it could have a massive affect on other tree species. The cost to forestry in timber value will be large, but the affect to the landscape will be greater, as the only cure/control at the moment is to fell the tree.

If you’re walking in the woods, local park or just on your favourite bimble and you come across it, report it to your local FC office of Tree Officer, so it can be investigated and dealt with. Also by reporting it the spread of the virus can be plotted.

The real spread wont be known until the spring when the trees come into leaf and the Forestry Commission do a aerial / satellite imaging.

I have just completed a contract felling job, were the client got us to fell all Larch we came across even though there was not virus know in the area, which was a sad day 

 

[nuggets]

wakey wakey !!!!!! nothing to do with this then is it ????

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/dec/22/tory-privatisation-all-state-forests

 

[treelore]

no nuggets, but also a massive issue at the moment

 

[Ogri the trog]

It’s something we really need to be concerned about..... phytophthora ramorum if it mutates as virus do then it could have a massive affect on other tree species.
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I have just completed a contract felling job, were the client got us to fell all Larch we came across even though there was not virus know in the area, which was a sad day 

It is the Larches that are suffering here in Mid Wales - though the full diagnosis will have to wait till next year to see which trees do not come into bud.

Many being felled as precaution against spread, but there are those that think it is already too late.

Ogri the trog

 

[nuggets]

no nuggets, but also a massive issue at the moment

maybe its just a rumour to put off any prospective buyers ???

 

[nuggets]

so what are the symptoms we should be looking out for ???????

 

[Dave Budd]

the National Trust felled a small area of larch riund my way last year as a precaution. Hopefully it will fizzle out (with the necesarry precautions) before it hits our native trees.

 

[treelore]

wish it was, but what P£$% me off is the fact thats this has been about since before the spring last year and is only now really being talked about in the news now. TBH i thinks its too late, too little too late and as per norm were playing catch up ! when will we wake up !

 

[treelore]

if it was up to me i would fell ALL the larch in the country now, and then grow again

 

[nuggets]

dutch elm disease caused a big up roar ??? whats the latest on that then ???

 

[nuggets]

if it was up to me i would fell ALL the larch in the country now, and then grow again

what about the oaks ???

 

[treelore]

we still have DED in the UK but it only affects timber thicker than your thumb, the beattle is attacted to this size and above. You still find Elms in hegderows etc but if you want big Elms then you would have to go to Bournemouth.

As for the oaks i would leave them, its is not affecting are oaks as of yet.

 

[nuggets]

well can you change the thread title then !!!

 

[baz p]

i wish we could, but when you read up about this disease this is just the start of something on a catastrophic level, or its a cover up so the government can sell off the land like they have planned to do,

no matter what view we have its a sad event that's taking place throughout the northern hemisphere and something needs to be done........and fast.

like mentioned before, we wont know properly until spring time but this disease can affect over 140 different species of tree, now that's scary

 

[treelore]

nuggets, thats what its called mate..as it was first found in the states in the native oaks

 

[treelore]

i would'nt say its a cover up so the goverment can sell off are forests and woods, as SOD (chuckly...sorry) had been here a while and the FC have been sell of the woods for years. In my area they have been selling off woods for about 6 years !!! its nothing new i`m sad to say.

 

[Peter_t]

well if the phytophthora control work will be like how the dutch elm control work has been operating lately the larch have no hope. the jokers that organise the DED work decided to intoduce a sceem that makes the land owner pay half to have the trees felled in an effort to save money. so basicly most people refuse to pay so the work never gets done and now the elms are suffering big time (as well as making far more work and costing more).

another think they decided to do was to have a form to fill out for each tree that is deseased and we cannot carry out the work unless the paperwork is sorted (or at leest if we want to get paid for it). so by the time they have said we can do the work it is several months too late!

one bloke i have worked with says it has been like 20 years of progress wasted because of these changes in the office.


i wouldn't get your hopes up


pete

 

[ledders666]

what about the oaks ???

Im pretty sure this disease doesn't actually affect English oaks ou main native one, however it does effect red oak the native to amarica, I shall find out moore about it on monday at westonbirt, but im sure english oak isn't that effected