Very sad

[Sawyer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12933729

We already have far too few forests here in NI, so I really hope this doesn't get much worse.

 

[Qwerty]

That is very troubling news. Here's hoping that it isn't too disastrous.

The disease is thought to have been imported into the UK and Ireland by infected rhododendron plants.

A salutary lesson that we need tighter controls perhaps.

 

[rancid badger]

Tighter controls will probably include exclusion of the public from the affected areas but what else can you do?

 

[yerbache]

Dealing specifically with this disease in forestry is what I do for a day job....and already looking at the spring flush it looks like we're in for a bad year. Best thing we can do is be vigilant and try not to spread it elsewhere in the hope that we will be granted enough time for the larch it predominantly affects to develop a degree of resistance. More info here:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pramorum

 

[Husky]

Are there any species that are immune and better suited for new reforestation such as scots pine or norway spruce?

 

[stinger]

extremely sad news, as sawyer said we have little enough forests to speak of as is.

 

[yerbache]

Are there any species that are immune and better suited for new reforestation such as scots pine or norway spruce?

Pretty much everything is at risk from it, but some species have a better immunity than others. The native oaks here aren't fairing as badly as people expected, but two years ago it was discovered in Larch and that's a big deal as the spores from which it spreads grow in more abundance on that species.