Sudden oak death in Cork forest

periodictable

Phytopthera ramorum which has been present in the state for at least 12 years now, has resulted in the closing of a a Coillte property in Cork as the felling of 16000 infected Japanese larch gets under way.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/cork-s-gougane-barra-forest-park-closing-due-to-tree-fungus-1.1643902

With new diseases spreading for whatever reason, could we expect the Forest Service to once and for all show some balls as the rest of the Departnent of Agriculture does for animal disease and once and for all impose strict import controls on imported planting stock.
It was reported some years back that the disease was found on imported rhododendron plants. I'm sure there is "monitoring" of imports, but nothing acts like a brake as a ban on certain imports.
For anyone interested in the symptoms of Phytopthera and in protecting their forest asset, check out this BFC webpage
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pramorum

fergus1001

Where does the oak come into this ?

periodictable

fergus1001 wrote: »

Where does the oak come into this ?

That's the popular name as it was killing oaks in the US first.

fergus1001

Oh right I thought from the title that oak had been infected with it somewhere in Ireland ha

TomOnBoard

periodictable wrote: »

With new diseases spreading for whatever reason, could we expect the Forest Service to once and for all show some balls

I haven't been on here for a while. I've been really busy trying to mitigate my family from the crisis that is known as post- Bailout Ireland.

I've lost in the region of 70% of '05 value of the bits 'n bobs that I worked hard for over 30+ years to create for family. Adding all together, a few recent imrovements mean that I'm down about 60% right now in Real Terms.

Part of my Family's future lies in about 210 acres of Sh*&e Mayo bogland that has had the benefit of some 8 years of non- farmer premium as well as the establishment grant.

MY WIFE AND ME HAVE HAD TO GO TO REPEATED AIB BANK MEETINGS WITH CREDITORS WE DIDNT EVEN KNOW WE HAD (Our Invoices were FACTORED WHATEVER THAT MEANS!!) THAT USED EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK to F*&k US OVER WHENEVER THEY COULD. AND THEY TRIED TO GET THAT "!) ACRES on a VALUATIOJ OF €435 PEer Acre ATnhgding.

Treasured holdings were Sold off for as low as .15/€.

BUT IN AL THAT TIME, NOT A SinGLE PERSON in Forest Section f888ed us over. OK, THERE Was nt a load of soft klove- Not one hugged us as colleagues. But no- one EVER treated us other than FAITRLY and PROFESSIONALLY.

Now tht's WhAT Shows when someone REALLY shows Balla!

periodictable

I have tremendous respect for the vast majority of FS staff- from clerical to professional. They are invariably helpful and supportive.
However the current FS leadership is at best weak and ineffectual and about as original as the colour black.
I've had dealings with the Forest Service, in all its incarnations, for well over 30 years, and believe that it lost sight of its mandate and declined to robustly and honestly defend the forest industry and grower.
Many professional foresters despair of the gutting of the forest sector over the last 10 years or so presided over by the current incumbents.
One big issue is plant health. Alistair Mc Cracken delivered a speech to the Society of Irish Foresters last year, and his paper is printed in the current SIF Journal.
The last 10 years has seen a"significant increase" in the number of diseases affecting trees in Europe, Britain and Ireland. These are the new diseases detected on the island of Ireland:
Phytopthera ramorum,
Phytopthera lateralis,http://www.forestry.gov.uk/plateralis

Phytopthera pseudosyringae,http://www.ndrs.org.uk/article.php?id=025027
Chalara fraxinea, Pseudomonas syringae pv.aesculi,http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-6KYBGV
Dothistroma septosporum, http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-6ZHC69
Google any of these to see the effects of these diseases.
Mc Cracken states that EU plant health legislation is not strong enough to deal with diseased plants, and believes that most infections in the UK and Ireland were as the result of infected imported plants coming into the countries.
Contrast this epidemic of diseases with Erwinia amylovora, which was first detected in Britian 1957, but only first found in Ireland in the mid/late 80s.UP to then we had tough plant importation laws.
It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out what has most likely occurred, and for someone in the Forest Service, which as I have previously pointed out, is mandadted to protect the health status of our forest base, to demand a moratorium on plant imports until more stringent demands are put in place.
Imagine if an infected animal were imported from Europe-there would be an immediate ban on animal importation until such time as the risk was dealt with.
My forest plantations are my investment, and frankly I don't want to see them destroyed by disease. Do we have to wait for something the wipe out Sitka to understand that something needs to be done?
Sorry to hear about your problems, but they will be compounded if your plantations get any of the aforementioned diseases. And I haven't mentioned the threat of tree destroying insects, many of which are just waiting for the opportunity to cross the Irish Sea.
Factoring of invoices means that the bank has sold them to a 3rd party. I'd chase that one up.

Cork boy 55

Blowback from the greed and stupidity of planting en-masse non-native species and failing to control imports.

what it gods name are japanese larch doing in Cork?

periodictable

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Blowback from the greed and stupidity of planting en-masse non-native species and failing to control imports.

what it gods name are japanese larch doing in Cork?

The non-native species didn't cause the disease.
FYI Japanese Larch produces good lumber and improves soil structure.
The main problem is the failure of the Forest Service to do its job:

The increasing movement between countries of forest plants and wood products (e.g. logs, sawn
timber, wooden pallets, crates and ships dunnage) increases the risk of potentially very damaging
forest pests and diseases spreading to Ireland.
The policy of the Forest Service in this area is to maintain a healthy forest environment by ensuring
good management, identifying risks and maintaining a sustained commitment to measures which
prevent the entry and establishment of destructive forest pests and diseases.
Under the EU Plant Health Directive strict regulatory controls are in place to prevent the entry of
exotic insect pests and diseases which could seriously damage our forests. These relate to the
movement of forest plants and wood products into Ireland both from within the EU and from
non-EU countries.
(Taken from the Forestry Schemes manual)

Cork boy 55

Well if we leave the causes of the disease to one side for the moment,

Japanese Larch is a invasive alien species from another continent and should never have been planted in such numbers in the Irish countryside and
Certainly NOT in Guagan barra forest park a prime beauty spot

sawdoubters

http://extension.psu.edu/pests/plant-diseases/all-fact-sheets/oak-diseases

periodictable

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Well if we leave the causes of the disease to one side for the moment,

Japanese Larch is a invasive alien species from another continent and should never have been planted in such numbers in the Irish countryside and
Certainly NOT in Guagan barra forest park a prime beauty spot

Japanese larch is NOT invasive!

periodictable

sawdoubters wrote: »

http://extension.psu.edu/pests/plant-diseases/all-fact-sheets/oak-diseases

I'm not sure of the relevanece of this link, but a few pointers:
There are possibly up to 800 species of oak, and the page is most likely referring to oaks native to N America, which tend to be grouped into White oaks or Red Oaks, with diseases peculiar to each group, some common, some specific, some serious, and some of little consequence.

Reindeer

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Well if we leave the causes of the disease to one side for the moment,

Japanese Larch is a invasive alien species from another continent and should never have been planted in such numbers in the Irish countryside and
Certainly NOT in Guagan barra forest park a prime beauty spot

It's not invasive so much as non native. Invasive species do not need to be planted. They invade with little help and can be difficult to control. Larch of any type are easily controlled.