Ash Dieback Disease (Chalara fraxinea) in Ireland

robp

For those interested in the potenial ecological fall out of ash dieback here is an article from Nature.

Tree fungus: Lichens under threat from ash dieback Nature. 29 November 2012
Christopher J. Ellis, Brian J. Coppins & Peter M. Hollingsworth

The fungal pathogen Chalara fraxinea is killing ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) throughout Europe. Also potentially under threat is the large diversity of lichens that these ash trees support.

Using data from the UK National Biodiversity Network (www.nbn.org.uk), we found 536 lichen species (corresponding to some 30% of UK lichens) that occur on ash. Of these, 84 are categorized as under threat in Britain using International Union for Conservation of Nature standards.

For at least six of these threatened species, more than half of the records in the database are for specimens found on ash trees. This includes Fuscopannaria ignobilis, a lichen that receives the highest UK legislative protection status under Schedule 8 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, and Wadeana dendrographa, for which the United Kingdom has international conservation responsibility.

Ash, along with non-native tree species such as sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), provided an alternative host for lichens affected by the catastrophic decline of elm trees during the 1970s. If the UK ash population succumbs to dieback, the rescue effect for lichens is a consideration that should influence landscape management of non-native trees.

Oldtree

this map has been updated today 6/12 (now with 291 infected sites) and wider environment outstripping planted sites) on the uk forestry website, but only the small format of the map as yet.

from here: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

it pinpoints the infected sites in NI now appearing to include Tyrone and Derry.

Rovi

On Facebook a little while ago:

Teagasc Forestry
2 hours ago via HootSuite
Minister McEntee announces temporary suspension of grant aid for new ash plantations until more information is gathered #Chalara #ashdieback

Oldtree

Rovi wrote: »

On Facebook a little while ago:
Teagasc Forestry
2 hours ago via HootSuite
Minister McEntee announces temporary suspension of grant aid for new ash plantations until more information is gathered #Chalara #ashdieback

bit more on that here:
http://www.thejournal.ie/suspension-ash-planting-702661-Dec2012/

"Department staff have been carrying out targeted surveillance inspections over the last three weeks of sites planted with imported ash, forest and non-forest nurseries, roadsides and farms. The full picture from this survey will not be known until the New Year"

that implies that it takes us over 7 weeks to get an idea of things, what are they doing submitting hand written reports by snail mail? and clearly no Smartcycler Genie II in the field to aid the prompt diagnosis of a half hour then!

Oldtree

UK Government sets out strategy to tackle Chalara dieback of ash (yesterday)
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/AllByUNID/1C77E321DD32B3B880257ACB0050267E

Interim Chalara Control Plan
http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13843-chalara-control-plan-121206.pdf

Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce Interim Report
http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13842-tree-taskforce-interim-121206.pdf

Get the feeling that our lot are just sitting there twiddling thumbs, all they have to do is copy what the UK are doing, no thinking involved

Why does Minister McEntee want to suspend grants to new ash plantations if he has put in place legislation where he says its ok to import plants and seeds from within the EU (other than those areas that are known to have the disease)? or rely on a voluntary ban on plant imports! He's not putting his money where his mouth is..... Maby he has already got the New Year report in the form of a prelim report!
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/pressreleases/2012/december/title,67933,en.html
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/pressreleases/2012/october/title,67308,en.html

cannotdisplay

seems the minister is allowing ash to be planted as beat up trees in existing ash plantations so that would still require a tiny supply.

all technical and financially approved sites need a new map submitted where the landowner is willing to go ahead with another suitable species in replacement.

major headaches for foresters and nurserys.

presumably alder is going to replace a lot of the proposed ash, this brings into play the underlying issue with phytophteria effecting young alder plantations. lets hope the department isnt forgetting the issues with alder just because ash is taking all the current headlines

Oldtree

gov circular on Temporary Suspension of Ash Planting
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/grantandpremiumschemes/schemecirculars/Circular12of2012AshSuspension061212.pdf

uk gov publication on alder and Phytophthora
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fcin6.pdf/$FILE/fcin6.pdf

COFORD on Alder planting
http://www.coford.ie/media/coford/content/publications/projectreports/cofordconnects/Alder-reprod.pdf

our Phytophthora ramorum publication
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingsectors/planthealthandtrade/PPINPhytophthoraramorumFeb2012.pdf

this may sound very immediate and familier "Because of the level of damage to Japanese larch, the Department ceased grant aiding Japanese larch in November 2010" from here
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/forestservicegeneralinformation/foresthealthandseeds/WebQA310311UpdateFINAL310311.pdf
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/foresthealthandseeds/phytophthoraramorumsymptomsonjapaneselarch/

Oldtree

Just discovered why "its not here", lack of any initiative over the last 3 years and no sign of Smartcycler Genie II's:

National Recovery Plan 2011 - 2014 page 116:

"Programme:
Reductions in the Disease Eradication area due to reduced instances of disease in 2010: Yield 2011 €6.3million"
http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/2010/fouryearplan/index.pdf

Oldtree

"significant stepping up of its eradication measures"

What havn't they been doing that they are now going to do????

"The interim results from the major winter survey ...brings the number of positive cases to 22, including 15 in young plantations, 6 in horticultural nurseries and 1 planted ornamentally in a garden. There have now been incidents of the disease in forest plantations in Counties Leitrim, Meath, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Waterford, Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Longford and Galway."

http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2012/12/government-steps-up-ash-dieback-chalara-eradication-measures/

"Some of the samples sent for analysis"

still no smart genie II

there appears to be a difference (lost in translation perhaps) in what the NI Minister of Agri is saying regarding precautions being taken here:

"taking full advantage of our island status to give all the protection possible with parallel legislation north and south to ban the import of plants for planting"
http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=155640

"introduced to ban the importation of plants from affected areas"
http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2012/12/government-steps-up-ash-dieback-chalara-eradication-measures/



and this disease was imported via infected plants while the government was saving money as there was clearly no recognition of the danger, despite recent protestations that they were keepin an eye out since 2008:

"Programme: Reductions in the Disease Eradication area due to reduced instances of disease in 2010: Yield 2011 €6.3million"
National Recovery Plan 2011 - 2014 page 116:
http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/2010...plan/index.pdf

I have to now agree fully with periodictable's earlier assessment, including the ongoing fiasco, heads should role immediatly and a competent person take charge. Is there a case of negligence here, deffo, can they be sued, dont know!

Up to 309 sites now in the UK:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

periodictable

Totally preventable.

Oldtree

Sobering BBC4 radio programme by Dr Adam Hart on ash dieback:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01p7g10/The_Tree_Scientists/

programme from the 12th Dec so only available until the 19th Dec (I think)

Oldtree

Joan Webber in the above programme states as a matter of fact that the east of england infected by spores wind blown from the continent.

"Its not here"
but its comeing on the wind..........:mad:

There seems to be a lot of emphasis on hopefully finding resistant trees,
the programme finishes with one found in poland!

fits

I suspect that it would have been very difficult to stop it coming in altogether no matter what they did. But it certainly could have been delayed. Maybe by enough time to develop adaptive measures.

Oldtree

fits wrote: »

I suspect that it would have been very difficult to stop it coming in altogether no matter what they did. But it certainly could have been delayed. Maybe by enough time to develop adaptive measures.

Agreed somewhat. If you look at the map in the UK of infected sites it is obvious with all the red dots of "wider encvironment sites" that the windblown spores eminating from europe are concentrated in the south east of the country, but that planting of infected plants has spread the disease all over the county much faster than a natural spread.
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

Our lot have sat on their hands keeping a literal eye on things since "2008", 5 years, while infected plants have been spreading this contageon throughout this country. There is yet to be found a woodland infected site here, although I suspect there may well be one shortly, nonetheless all the currently infected sites are from infected plantings. It was possible that we may have been spared, but not now.

Oldtree

18 December 2012 Teagasc Forestry e-News (to subscribe): http://www.teagasc.ie/forestry/media/newsletter_signup.asp

Ash Dieback Disease (Chalara fraxinea) - latest developments

Since the publication of our latest e-Newsletter of 7 November 2012, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced a significant stepping up of its eradication measures based on the results of its ongoing Chalara survey. The interim results from the major winter survey currently being undertaken has confirmed further positive samples for the presence of Chalara. This brings the number of positive cases to 22, including 15 in young plantations, 6 in horticultural nurseries and 1 planted ornamentally in a garden.

There have now been incidents of the disease in forest plantations in Counties Leitrim, Meath, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Waterford, Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Longford and Galway. The Department will supervise the destruction and re-establishment of these sites. A grant for the re-establishment of the area of ash being destroyed will be provided under the Department's Reconstitution Scheme, provided that the forest was established under the Department’s Afforestation Scheme initially. The grant will include the costs of removal or destruction of the trees and leaf litter and the costs of restoring a forest on the site.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also announced a temporary suspension of the grant aiding of new ash plantations under the Department’s afforestation schemes until more information is gathered regarding surveillance results, the risk of the disease establishing in Ireland and the effects the disease might have on our existing ash plantations. This precautionary decision will not affect landowners who have already planted with ash.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also introduced a ban on the importation of ash wood into the country. Under the new Regulations, ash wood will be allowed into the country but only if it is from areas known to be free of the Chalara Ash Die Back disease or kiln dried or with the outer round surface (including bark) removed.

You may also wish to download the Teagasc Forestry Chalara Newsletter (PDF 370 KB) posted out to 45,000 Teagasc clients.
http://www.teagasc.ie/forestry/docs/media/newsletters/Teagasc_Forestry_Newsletter_Dec_12.pdf

You can help highlighting this serious threat to our ash trees by downloading and displaying this Chalara poster (PDF 2.5 MB) in a prominent place. Paper copies may also be available from your local Teagasc Forestry Development Officer.
http://www.teagasc.ie/forestry/docs/advice/chalara_poster.pdf

Further details regarding the presence of Chalara fraxinea in Ireland can be found here.
http://www.teagasc.ie/forestry/advice/chalara_disease.asp

Newsletter also includes:
Preview of Teagasc Forestry Events for 2013
New online access to submit Forest Premium applications
Winter Management tips including shaping leaflet http://www.teagasc.ie/forestry/docs/advice/teagascshaping3.pdf

Oldtree

from here:
http://www.independent.ie/farming/news-features/cuts-avoided-but-ash-future-is-uncertain-3330451.html

In short, anyone intending to plant ash during the current planting season will have to substitute another species.

All nurseries growing ash have had to submit samples for testing and the species is effectively frozen in the nurseries pending the outcome of the tests and the further surveillance to establish whether the disease has been contained.

With planting suspended, many nurserymen fear that they may yet have to burn their stock of ash, not because of its being diseased but simply due to lack of demand.

The last time we saw this on a large scale was the burning of 20m sitka spruce transplants following that drastic cut in the forestry budget in 2003.

:eek:

Also I havn't noticed any ministerial talk on woodlands outside forestry, are we to retain infected mature ash trees such as in the uk or just march forward with the blunt instrument of slash and burn, nor has any monitory/ecological/landscape value been assigned to these mature infected woodland non forestry trees. At the moment as a (semi natural/ancient) ash woodland owner I would not report my trees should I discover an infection for fear that they would march in and leave me with a scorched earth. Think I would wait and see what happens in the UK before making a decision. I am not in reciept of any grant aid.

periodictable

I want as little state interference as possible in my forest operations. The current gang are a seriously disappointing lot.

Oldtree

Ditto, I didnt want a grant which would necessitate being told what to do by lesser mortals

periodictable

Oldtree wrote: »

Ditto, I didnt want a grant which would necessitate being told what to do by lesser mortals

Exactly, by the book, no exercise of discretion, no imagination.....that's what UCD has churned out over the last 20 years

crackcrack30

Oldtree wrote: »

from here:
http://www.independent.ie/farming/news-features/cuts-avoided-but-ash-future-is-uncertain-3330451.html


With planting suspended, many nurserymen fear that they may yet have to burn their stock of ash, not because of its being diseased but simply due to lack of demand.



:eek:


.

Would you plant a few hundred native ash privatly if got at a very good price????, or would that just undermine the efforts of the athorities and increase the chance of fungus spread.........should there be an outrite ban on ash planting????

Oldtree

Price is not an issue as i collect my own seedlings on my own land building up stock that way over time, I was just showing shock for my fellow treeists at a potentially devestating and what I now percieve to have been an avoidable loss of income for them.

I have planted and will continue to plant my own ash seedlings, (for a private copse for firewood), and as part of my management plan remove sycamore from a semi natural ash/hazel woodland, but I now intend to put in a few of my own sycamore seedlings into the new copse to balance potential ash losses in the future, and more poplar and willow too, it seems prudent, but i wont stop with the ash as I really like the tree and hope for the best.

I dont think a complete ban on planting bought in ash trees for the forseeable future would be a bad thing until we fully understand the implications and impact of what is going on with this disease. It may be a complete waste of money if plants and planting is paid for. I would not trust anyone at the moment to buy ash stock from, do so at your peril. Cheap is usually nasty.

Oldtree

LOOK ash dieback has been given its very own section on the DOAFM website, must be part of the "upping of the ante....."
"its not here, its not there,
its everywhere"
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/ashdiebackchalara/

robp

Oldtree wrote: »

Price is not an issue as i collect my own seedlings on my own land building up stock that way over time, I was just showing shock for my fellow treeists at a potentially devestating and what I now percieve to have been an avoidable loss of income for them.

I have planted and will continue to plant my own ash seedlings, (for a private copse for firewood), and as part of my management plan remove sycamore from a semi natural ash/hazel woodland, but I now intend to put in a few of my own sycamore seedlings into the new copse to balance potential ash losses in the future, and more poplar and willow too, it seems prudent, but i wont stop with the ash as I really like the tree and hope for the best.

I can't imagine how distressing if is for people who made the leap to use native species and now to be faced with this. I'm would be coming from the same point of view about the importance of keeping it native. Instead of putting in Sycamore it might be worth investing in Wych Elm or in particular lab developed elm hybrids that may be disease resistant (Ulmus 'Morfeo). If you study the early tree history of Ireland its remarkable how less common ash was before agriculture here. Ash really took the place of elm which decreased following disease outburst in the Neolithic. So its one to consider.

Rovi

[MOD]

Thread title changed to reflect the developing situation.


[/MOD]

crackcrack30

Was told by a nursery today that no ash trees can be moved around the country without a current passport and that none are been givin out, nomatter if ash are native or not and/or inspected or not........he's sitting on 1.5million plants.......

TomOnBoard

crackcrack30 wrote: »

Was told by a nursery today that no ash trees can be moved around the country without a current passport

Does this ban on movement include firewood?

periodictable

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Does this ban on movement include firewood?

good point

Oldtree

no, not even from infected countries. :eek: notice all the "or's" and not ands in the below dictat

A person shall not land wood of genus Fraxinus L. into the State originating in countries where Chalara fraxinea is known to occur unless the wood
(a) is accompanied by a plant passport or an official statement stating that it originates in an area known to be free from Chalara fraxinea, or
(b) is squared so as to remove entirely the rounded surface, or
(c) is bark-free and the water content is less than 20% expressed as a percentage of thedry matter, or
(d) if sawn, with or without residual bark attached, has undergone kiln-drying to below 20 % moisture content, expressed as a percentage of dry matter, achieved through an appropriate time and temperature schedule. There shall be evidence thereof by a mark ‘Kiln-dried’ or ‘KD’ or another internationally recognised mark, put on the wood or on any wrapping in accordance with current usage.

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/ashdiebackchalara/PR06Nov12.pdf

Oldtree

crackcrack30 wrote: »

Was told by a nursery today that no ash trees can be moved around the country without a current passport and that none are been givin out, nomatter if ash are native or not and/or inspected or not........he's sitting on 1.5million plants.......

that is a huge amount of stock to have to destroy and a huge loss to their business as there is no way those plants will be sold. Does their insurance cover it or does he have to take the hit?

Oldtree

robp wrote: »

I can't imagine how distressing if is for people who made the leap to use native species and now to be faced with this. I'm would be coming from the same point of view about the importance of keeping it native. Instead of putting in Sycamore it might be worth investing in Wych Elm or in particular lab developed elm hybrids that may be disease resistant (Ulmus 'Morfeo). If you study the early tree history of Ireland its remarkable how less common ash was before agriculture here. Ash really took the place of elm which decreased following disease outburst in the Neolithic. So its one to consider.

It is an interesting idea but the words "may be disease resistant" dont fill me with confidence or the will to plant up and rely on elm for the future. I would also not be keen on lab developed hybrids as I am very keen on native and natural.

I have collected an elm locally which has pride of place and cosseted in the back garden, and have just become aware of a small group of them on a out of the way bit at the edge of my wood. and at a number of other locations, needless to say none of them are very old.

It is very interesting to study the ebb and flow of flora on this island over time. But with the weather changing what is going to happen next. Very difficult to predict based on past ebbs and flows. With the deluges we are getting now the soil is getting a lot more water in one go and as the root function shuts down to protect the tree at such times from waterlogging, the tree then continues to transpire effectivly drying the tree out. Are we going to get a lot of trees failing due to this new stress? Will this make the ash dieback worse than it would have been otherwise??? Unprecedented territory.