the problem with these diseases is that they mutate very quickly. larches and oaks are miles apart in terms of botany and other qualities so a jump between species of oak will not be hard.
pete
sudden oak death
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the problem with these diseases is that they mutate very quickly. larches and oaks are miles apart in terms of botany and other qualities so a jump between species of oak will not be hard.
pete
having said that with DED some elms have a much higher resistance to the fungi than others. also people have cultivated elms that have higher resistance to replace some of the other species.
pete
pete
I have also heard tell of 'acute oak decline' - am I right in thinking this is this a general description of the result of 'sudden oak death' and other tree diseases, or is it another disease itself.
Here you go, there are other pages on the site on Oak problems http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestresearch.nsf/ByUnique/INFD-7B3BZU
Chronic Oak Decline/Dieback - is a slower form of dieback over decades. Look for stag headed Oaks, that look healthy on the lower 60-70 % They tend to stay at this sort of state as they recover. The deadwood is very strong and hardly ever fails.
Acute Oak decline - is a faster form of decline over a couple of years, and is a recent problem, more aggressive than above, more problems and less chance of recovery.
Both the above are a combination of things the Oak doesn't like such as extremes of weather, attack from disease(possibly a Bacterium which is unknown)/insects, a change in site conditions.
Sudden Oak Death - gets confused with Acute Oak Decline as they both cause Bleeding on the stems, and is caused by Phytophthora ramorum a Fungle disease, which seems to spread from Infected Larch. I heard some Oaks in this country have possibly had it but the latest problem is the massive upsurge in infected Larch and possible spread.
it wont mutate "as viruses do" as it is a mold
it isnt currently effecting our oak but is getting through the populations of Japanese larch and rhododendron
the mold, like the larch and rhododendron it is attacking is a non native species and introduced from north america
in a way, its not as bad as it could be, larch is massively overstocked in this country and isn't good for the diversity of our woodlands and rhododendron is a damn invasive weed anyway that we spend 100s of 1000s per year trying to control
the lesson of the story is that we should stop messing with the natural order of things and nature will achieve a sustainable balance... its only when we introduce things (cray fish anyone? grey squirrels?) that it all goes boobies up, either today or at some point in the future
it isnt currently effecting our oak but is getting through the populations of Japanese larch and rhododendron
the mold, like the larch and rhododendron it is attacking is a non native species and introduced from north america
in a way, its not as bad as it could be, larch is massively overstocked in this country and isn't good for the diversity of our woodlands and rhododendron is a damn invasive weed anyway that we spend 100s of 1000s per year trying to control
the lesson of the story is that we should stop messing with the natural order of things and nature will achieve a sustainable balance... its only when we introduce things (cray fish anyone? grey squirrels?) that it all goes boobies up, either today or at some point in the future
the spores of the mould are highly wind borne, while i agree with anything that stops "damage", there's no real mileage in a "foot and mouth" sanitising type exercise
So, (conspiracy theory mode ON) was it introduced in an effort to get rid of the rhody problem throughout the UK?
Broch
So, (conspiracy theory mode ON) was it introduced in an effort to get rid of the rhody problem throughout the UK?
Broch
lol
maybe, probably by the lizards
i wouldnt go as far as that (its not a virus btw, i know its oft misdescribed as such, but it is a mould, a fungus).... but yes, it is eating through the rhododendron
from what i have seen, it isn't, they mince it and presumably incinerate.
larch is massively in over supply here though and apparently the price is so low people just cant sell it... damn ugly woodland it creates as well killing everything in its shadow and you cant even use it for fuel
purely a constructional softwood that has been grown for profit certainly not for diversity of our woodlands
I'm old enough to remember the Dutch Elm disease that spread like wildfire 35-40 years ago. In one field on land I used to shoot there were two massive Dutch Elms that towered above anything else in the vicinity. Beautiful trees. Sadly there are now just the rotting remains of the trunks that have been cut back as the rest of the tree slowly rotted and collapsed over the years. Very tragic to see it believe me.
Symptoms of acute oak decline include dark fluid bleeding from splits in the bark on tree trunks, and as affected trees approach death there is a notable deterioration of the canopy, or tree tops, and ‘dieback’ of the branches. The condition can kill a tree in as little as four or five years
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