Trouble branches out

[bigjackbrass]

Not sure if this has been mentioned previously, but here's a link to a BBC story on something very disturbing now occurring in British trees:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3291011.stm

 

[Roving Rich]

I saw that on newsround last night. It could be disasterous. I am of an age that I don't know what an Elm tree looks like. The only ones I remember are the dead and dying as a kid.
I hope theat the Oaks and Beeches aren't going the same way!

Rich

 

[Ed]

This could have far reaching consequences... I remember as a kid as a cub scout, during the dutch elm disease outbreak, camps being cancelled and land acces withdrawn by land owners trying to protect there woodland. A sad day indeed.

Ed

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

does this mean there will be a kull? ie felling the local trees to halt the desiese?

i guess the only up side is that there will prehaps be more attention drawn to the limited woodlands we do have.

 

[Roving Rich]

At the moment they are not planning a "Cull". It is alimited outbreak so far, and the diseased trees are being left standing, so that the scientists can suss out the fungus and try to come up with an antidote. Lets hope it doesn't spread quickly.
Rich :-(

 

[Ed]

so that the scientists can suss out the fungus and try to come up with an antidote.

Lets hope they can come up with something natural instead of spraying whole forests with fungiside, doing untold damage to the local environment.

Ed

 

[Stew]

From the sound of it it's not spread from tree to tree but rhodedendrons (and the like) to trees.

 

[Jack]

We have been aware of this disease for sometime and we have all been fearing its spread. These problems always seem to arise from the nurseries, who seem to import diseases from all over the world when they bring in exotic species. As long as we continue this practice we will always have some sort of disease threat.

We already have Oak Mildew in our woodlands and I been watching it slowly spread to our Maples as well so who knows where that will end up.

I do believe however, one of the facts of why we do suffer with diseases in our woodlands is purely through like of men working them so in turn, the woods suffer from low immunity and are not strong enough to fight of any attack...........bit like Foot and Mouth Disease...............but that is a different story!


Best wishes.

Jack.