Chalara fraxinea - Generic thread

[likeitorlumpit]

TO I spoke to the other day in Kent said KCC advice is going to be to not fell unless targets to aim for resistance. Good move IMO

[Derek Van Dweller]

Hi there, new to the forum but looking for any advice about chalara and the re-pollarding of a veteran ash tree I've been asked to do.

 

I've heard that some coppice workers up here in cumbria have been asked not to re-coppice any ash at the mo as the new growth will be more vulnerable to chalara infection. Do you think the same might apply to regrowth on a pollard??

 

Don't wanna sign the death warrant on this tree....

[HCR]

I'd suggest going with the advice for coppice - physiologically coppicing and pollarding are very similar.

 

Forestry Commission - Pests and diseases - Chalara - managing ash trees

[David Humphries]

Hi there, new to the forum but looking for any advice about chalara and the re-pollarding of a veteran ash tree I've been asked to do.

 

I've heard that some coppice workers up here in cumbria have been asked not to re-coppice any ash at the mo as the new growth will be more vulnerable to chalara infection. Do you think the same might apply to regrowth on a pollard??

 

Don't wanna sign the death warrant on this tree....

 

 

Hello Derek, welcome to the site.

 

I understand the regrowth of coppice & pollards to be the same.

 

Whilst at a plant health conference in Suffolk in early December, the question was raised about coppice regrowth & vulnerability to infection.

Emma Goldberg, Nature Conservation (Natural England) replied that the Uk science community were not currently in a position to advise on the long term management strategy of coppicing with regfard to infection of new growth.

 

Their advise was to halt/hold back on coppicing until further studies had developed a better understanding of the impact.

 

This issue was not debated at yesterdays Plant health conference in London, so I would assume the original advise still stands.

 

I would imagine this advise would be the same for pollarding, although I have not read or heard anyone say that specifically.

 

Hope that is of some help.

 

 

 

.

[Derek Van Dweller]

Thanks for the replies chaps...

 

HCR - thanks for the link, had a read through and point 8 seems to cover this scenario:

 

'For pollarded trees the current recommendations from the Swedish authorities, where there is a long history of pollarding, is to avoid all restoration cutting of old pollarded ash trees for the time being if there is not an acute risk that they will fall apart. However, for both healthy and infected ash trees which have been pollarded regularly, pollarding should continue until such time as we know more. If possible avoid pollarding all trees in the same year, but spread the pollarding out over several years. It is very important to revisit these trees and assess the impact of ash dieback.'

 

Think what I'm gonna recommend is a small reduction to reduce sail area and risk of collapse (tree has a 2m+ wide hollow in base and loads of Daldinia on timber below previously shed limb) whilst not triggering vulnerable regrowth.

 

Cheers!

[Gary Prentice]

Consensus of opinion today, at the P & D seminar at myerscough, was to hold back on coppicing. Young growth being particularly vulnerable. (Ie keep as much leaf volume as possible)

[Graham]

Woodland Trust 26th March

 

Woodland Trust Media Centre - Rising from the ashes - reaction to Ash Dieback Management Plan 26/03/13

[David Humphries]

Woodland Trust 26th March

 

Woodland Trust Media Centre - Rising from the ashes - reaction to Ash Dieback Management Plan 26/03/13

 

 

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Good to see the trust supports the collecting & growing of UK seed to establish its planting stock for its woodland projects.

 

 

 

 

.

[Graham]

Natural Resources Wales / First ?wider environment? Chalara case in Wales

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I took a fair bit of interest in the talks by Emma Goldberg & Daegan Inward on the ecological impacts associated with chalara and the joys of Coleoptera

 

 

Fascinating that although ash makes up a huge percentage of leafy biomass in the uk it only offers up average quality as host potential for specific insects.

Something like 110 species as opposed to 197 for hawthorn and 247 for oak.

 

.

 

 

when you look at things from one perspective it is all to easy to see a bright side, ask the bat and owl enthusiasts what the loss of ash will mean and it will be catastrophic. Ash are early veterans, hollow frequently, and IME contain a very significant proportion of hollow tree habitat in the u.k.

 

If the ash forest I saw on sunday was in its current state because of Chalara I dread to imagine what this season will unviel.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad