[Closed] Tree experts called to ash dieback alert on Malvern Hills

I remember listening to an expert on this on the Radio when the bruhaha started in the first place. She felt that it was already too late - that Ash as a species in Great Britain was doomed. I hope she's not right, but she seemed certain. I believe it's also been found in Ireland.

Crap news all round. 🙁

IT's going to be like foot and mouth with fires all over the countryside but lasting a generation and with permanent changes to the environment.

I know it's not much but I do hope peopl who ride in lots of different areas will take some sort of precautions of cleaning bikes properly between rides.

Indeed

For a slightly more positive take have a peruse of this;

http://www.bsbi.org.uk/ash_dieback.html

Isn't it airborne anyway?

[i]Isn't it airborne anyway? [/i]

yes, but movement of nursery trees has been associated with it arriving from the continent and I can imagine spores settling on mud under trees as well?

2-5% of trees are immune, it seems.

This is positive, as it provides a shedload of trees from which to regenerate the population.

Ah, from the forestry website:

Government scientists have set out the most up-to-date understanding of the disease. Their assessment agreed with the earlier Pest Risk Analysis carried out in August, and concluded that:

the spores are unlikely to survive for more than a few days;
spore dispersal on the wind is possible from mainland Europe;
trees need a high dose of spores to become infected;
the spores are produced from infected dead leaves during the months of June to September;
there is a low probability of dispersal on clothing or animals and birds;
the disease will attack any species of ash;
the disease becomes obvious in trees within months rather than years;
wood products would not spread the disease if treated properly;
once infected, trees can’t be cured; and
not all trees die of the infection, and some are likely to have genetic resistance.

[i]2-5% of trees are immune, it seems.[/i]

I wondered about that - but don't they just clear any area with infected trees so they'd get even the resistant ones?

@wwaswas

Was chatting with a club mate out on a run about the whole feet washing thing.

He very much was of the opinion that it's almost a worthless exercise. If animals are going to carry the disease from one wood to another it'll be Deer that do the damage. Even if you control Deer there are other vectors with which the disease can spread via animal transport. Birds, Insects, Mammals, they all live in woods and they can all transport the disease.

I'd hope he was wrong, but I rather expect washing tyres/pets/footwear isn't going to stop it.

I wondered about that - but don't they just clear any area with infected trees so they'd get even the resistant ones?

They are harvesting seeds from resistant trees in Denmark like mad apparently. Worst case scenario is having to re-stock from saplings.

If it turns out that clearing trees is not enough to stop the spread then I would imagine they would stop, let the susceptible trees die and then propagate seedlings from the remaining trees.

I agree piemonster - it was more about people who are in Thetford one weekend then the Quantocks the next day etc. Animals will tend to spread it far more slowly than that just because the move slower...

Maybe it's just me wanting to try and do something to help than it actually being of any help though.

Too late IMO. And now too late for Feet Washing and tyre washing.

Just go out and enjoy whilst you can still turn the pedals.

Won't stop me from riding in the Forests/woods near me.

Have already seen A4 laminated posters in local woods explaining the situation and I was confused as it seemed to come from another Quango set up just for this.. and not from the FC (who IMO have done nothing except cut good trees down and ruin animal habitats, but thats a whole other argument and grumble I have with them)

I think there will be less 'slash and burn' than there has been with DED and phytopthora in larch - history shows that it makes no difference to the end outcome. In reference to the DED, the slash and burn method is considered to have delayed the regeneration of hardy plants by 20-40 years due to untimely removal.

Whilst young trees will probably die quickly, mature trees will probably live with it and be a carrier for longer.

The map of spread pretty much follows imported saplings, hopefully, prevailing winds will be in the wests favour as east winds tend not to come until the winter once frosts have been had.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nxh4q

Some sensible stuff on here, from Peter Marren and Oliver Rackham who actually know what they are on about - starts at about 4.20

Clearly another example of the Ramblers wantonly destroying the countryside during their own selfish enjoyment of it.

its airborne, whilst buying in foreign saplings is believed the most viable mechanism to get it from Denmark to the UK (as opposed to it blowing across the North Sea)..
its nothing like F&M.
BBC News had a great piece of sensationalist twaddle the other day thats in point was an "Expert" would offer guidance on how to limit the spread, said expert then could only advise its airborne... classic..
must be a slow news day.

[url= http://ashtag.org/ ]It's been in worcestershire for a while. This website has a map of confirmed cases (red and pink)[/url]