New Oak disease

[Darren]

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/why-woods-matter/protection/Pages/oak-disease.aspx

[greyman]

This has received quite a bit of press and has even made the pages of our local rag - The Argus. However my feeling is to hold fire with the wailing and nashing of teeth (as seems to be the likelyhood if past press reporting of things is to be gone by). If you read the stuff on the link to the Forest Research below they specifically mention not to panic just yet and that this is not some completely new phenomenom that will wipe out all the oaks of Britain.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-7AXGCJ

We're losing oaks in our wood and there is plenty of die back in the tops of others but that is not to say one doesn't find this anyway. We get the caterpillar poo rains in the late spring early summer followed by the odd tree that has the oak leaf fungus. We have not seen though, any sign of the running wounds in the truncks of any of our oaks.

Greyman

[Darren]

Hiya Greyman

Not seen any sign of bleeding in our oaks either. Just thought it would be good for those to keep a eye out for it and report it if seen. At least that way the authorities can can keep a track of it's progress.

I think it's the roller moth caterpillar that likes to poo on our heads the gets covered with it. Just let your sarnies and drinks be left out uncovered.

[greyman]

Hello Darren,

have you also seen that they have a suggested notice to the public if you do find suspect trees on your land? Good hygeine ideas but not sure your gonna get members of the public disinfecting thier booties before leaving!

We must have had thousands, nay millions, of them capatillers last year 'cos it really did sound like rainfall - and yer right, you couldn't leave anything out or it got covered in delightful little brown/black packages....

Well I'm orft home from the day job and hoping to get out and see what the local deer have done the my burgening population of orchids - year before last they actually munched most of them off - we're really pleased this year as the number of Lesser Butterfly orchids seems to have exploded.

Cheers,

Greyman

[Stephen1]

Hi Greyman

I think it's worth pointing out that "Oak decline/dieback" is not the same problem as the new "acute oak decline". It's unfortunate that the naming of the two is so similar.

Oak decline/dieback has probably been around for centuries and whilst can be an issue locally is very unlikely to become an oak disaster. The new problem of Acute Oak Decline is potentially very serious and very different.

But it's also worth remembering that most 'new' tree diseases caused by fungi or bacteria in the UK have a period of time where they are very virulent, and then gradually become less able to damage the host tree. This is thought to be because various viruses and other agents that come into contact with the tree disease causing organism adapt through selection to parasitise the fungus or bacteria causing the disease. The result of this is that the bacteria or fungus causing the disease is itself weakened, this tends to spread very quickly as both the tree disease causing agent and its newly adapted pathogens spread together.

[docsquid]

I'm hoping to write something about acute oak decline for the upcoming newsletter, and I'd be interested if anybody has seen any symptoms of the new acute oak decline in their oak woodlands. We haven't had any signs yet, although we have a lot of oaks, but it would be good to know if anybody has any personal experiences of it.

[greyman]

Not seen anything here in the West of Sussex in my neck of the woods

[MartinD]

A deadly tree and plant disease first found in the UK in 2002 has spread to Wales, the Forestry Commission said today.

Phytophthora ramorum is a fungus-like organism which kills many of the trees and plants that it infects and is commonly known as sudden oak death because of its impact on oak trees in the US.

see rest of article at http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/deadly-tree-disease-spreads-1996928.html

[RichardKing]

Although as I pointed out in an article I wrote several years ago SOD is neither sudden, nor confined to oaks !

[Rich]

Alison Evans of the Forestry Commission Wales has just told me that they will be arranging some free training sessions in July run by the Forest Research branch. Apparently their woodland officers have already attended and said they were very useful.

Will post more details when I hear.

Rich