Articles: UK Trees Under Threat from Trees

Trees in the UK are coming under threat because of pests and disease, warns the forestry commission. The threat can’t be narrowed down to one specific species because it is feared that all trees are under threat.

The risk is reportedly down to non-native organisms which have no natural predators or factors that curb their spread like there would be in their natural environment. This could have a potentially devastating effect on the UK’s landscapes.

In 2011 the Tree Health and Bio Security Action Plan was put in place so that urgent measures could be utilized to try and stop millions of trees from being lost. Recently there have been guidelines released to aid bio security to stop the spread of harmful organisms on clothes, footwear, vehicles, etc.

Being an island has helped us in the past because the organisms haven’t come from abroad which is a major problem in mainland Europe, however due to the increase in International trade the pests are finding a way over and because their natural predators are not following them they are becoming an increasing problem.

2009 was the first instance of a pathogen killing a tree that really brought the problem to light after implanted Japanese Larch Trees became infected and killed in the South-West of England. It was the first time that P. ramorum was found on a species of conifer, since that discovery there has been evidence of it contaminating other Larch trees all over the UK.

Read the full news story here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19167307