(P. ramorum) II

A comparison; a reason...

I sifted through my archive to find one specific photograph so that I could make a point. The photo was taken in the Glenariffe Forest Park in September of 2008, the image is almost garishly green because of a recent shower. The rain water, caught in the trees and vegetation, dapples the light and makes the landscape literally sparkle. This photo was taken during one of my few trips home that year, and to me this was home.

And that is why walking the same path only two weeks past I was stunned to find that the avenue of trees no longer existed. The trees had become infected, were systemically felled and have been destroyed to prevent the spread of Phytophthora ramorum (P. ramorum).

More later, when I know more.

PM

(P. ramorum)

A little background to start...

In Europe, including the UK, P. ramorum has been found mainly on container-grown Rhododendron, Viburnum and Camellia plants in nurseries. It was first detected in the UK in 2002, when emergency measures were introduced. The initial measures included destruction of infected plants, a ban on imports of susceptible material from affected areas of the USA, and notification of movements of susceptible nursery stock. These measures were notified to the EU Standing Committee on Plant Health, which agreed EU-wide emergency measures in November 2002, based largely on the UK's action. Those measures are still in place.

Phytophthora ramorum was first identified in the mid-1990s as the cause of widespread devastation of wild oak trees in California and Oregon, USA (which earned it the name 'Sudden oak death').

Source: http://fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/pestsDiseases/phytophthora/pRamorum/

In 2010, P. ramorum came to the Glenariffe Forest Park in the Glens of Antrim. The removal of infected trees has had a serious impact on the landscape of the area.

-PM