Posts tagged ‘disease’
The fungus that wiped out 3.5 billion chestnut trees in the USA has been found for the first time in Britain. Chestnut blight, caused by the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (C. parasitica), has been confirmed by Forest Research scientists on trees in two small orchards of European sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa). The trees were imported by an English tree nursery from the same grower in France. The sites in Warwickshire and East Sussex are the first findings in Britain. Until now, the English Channel had prevented its spread from mainland Europe.
The fungus infection is usually fatal to European sweet chestnut and its North American relative, Castanea dentata, although it appears to be less virulent in Europe than it is in America. It is believed to have first originated in Eastern Asia before being introduced to North America in the late 19th Century, where it has since devastated billions of trees in the East of the country (see The American Chestnut Foundation). It was first identified in Europe in 1938, in Italy, and has since spread to most parts of southern Europe where sweet chestnut is grown, and to parts of northern Europe.
Identifying chestnut blight
The most obvious symptoms of chestnut blight are wilting and die-back of tree shoots. Young trees with this infection normally die back to the root collar, and might re-sprout before becoming re-infected. Other symptoms, such as stem cankers and the presence of fruiting bodies can also occur.
What now?
The trees where the fungus were discovered had been imported into the UK for nut production. As I have written before (e.g. Climate Change and Global Trade), the import/export of trees is potentially the most significant factor in the spread of new tree pests and diseases. Case proven I think. Let’s hope that FERA (Food & Environment Research Agency of the UK Government) is given adequate resources to tackle this very serious fungus. Afterall, sweet chestnut is a beautiful tree species in our forests and when coppiced, as it is in commonly in Kent (see Sweet Chestnut Coppice), it is one of the few forest systems that pays well and regularly.
Gabriel Hemery
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The ghost of an English elm that died forty years ago from Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi).
Ghost elm, Oxfordshire. DMC-GF2, 7mm (equivalent to 14mm in 35mm ), f11, 1/125th, ISO100, tripod. Post processed Adobe Lightroom.
In an English meadow, this stump is all that remains of a majestic elm Ulms procera that once typified the English landscape until the arrival of Dutch elm disease in the 1960s.
See more of my Elm series
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The £5,500 raised by 22 cyclists earlier this year in aid of funding research into Acute Oak Decline is being put to good use by scientists at Forest Research. Organiser Russell Ball has received a letter from Forest Research’s Chief Executive:
I am writing to acknowledge receipt and thank you for the very generous cheque, we have just received from the International Society for Arboriculture following the ‘Cycle Ride for Research’ fundraising event to support the work undertaken by our team on research into Acute Oak Decline. The money will go towards purchasing laboratory equipment that will facilitate our work and is very much appreciated.
James Pendlebury,
Chief Executive, Forest Research
My thanks to all those who sponsored my part in the 32 mile ride through central London.
Read more about Ride for Research
Gabriel Hemery
Download the full letter from Forest Research (click on the pdf icon)
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My 32 mile cycling adventure through London in March with 22 other Ride for Research riders, in aid of raising funds to support research into acute oak decline disease, accumulated a total of £5,500. A cheque was presented recently to scientists from Forest Research.
Russell Ball’s personal account of organising the event and taking part was published recently in the London Tree Officer Association website.
Gabriel Hemery
The Ride for Research sponsored cycle ride, in aid of research into oak disease, is one week away today.
I’m looking forward to tackling 15 miles of London’s streets with 29 other riders on 23rd March, visiting three schools along the way to plant trees with children. I will be taking lots of photos on the day and write further news after the event, so watch this space.
Thanks to the many people who have given so generously and helped me reach my target of £200. If you are able to help me raise more money to help support this important tree research, please visit my Ride for Research post where you will find instructions on how to donate online.
Gabriel Hemery
