Development site - elms

[Sylvia]

A local proposed housing development planning application AARC tree survey is looking to remove elms - one described as English Elm and one as "Unknown

?Elm - climber prevented full inspection"

Given the massive loss of elms down the years seeing surviving elms recommended for removal is surprising - are elms specially protected - will the council tree officer inspect/identify these without being asked?

[woody paul]

Are you concerned about removal, if so get tree officer to look and if possible get a tpo put on them if the tree's are sound to late once they have gone.

[skyhuck]

How mature are they? They may be regen that have not reached a size where they become infected.

[agg221]

Elms are not specially protected. They are not as rare as is often thought, but they are complicated.

 

If the trees are large enough that a climber is growing up one, preventing inspection, they are almost certainly big enough to have been affected by DED. The beetles prefer to fly at around 6m and prefer English Elm over pretty much anything else.

 

Pictures would be very helpful in identifying what's there - is the site visible on Google, or alternatively is it near enough to you to be able to visit? Ideally, close-up pictures of leaves (both sides), twigs, bark and branching habit (overall view of tree) would give a good indication.

 

Alec

[Sylvia]

Thanks for your help . I thought surviving elms might be extra protected.

Can't get a close look sorry- I've read further on in 3 doc tree survey -

v complicated these days - look like something from NASA

- both elms c 8m+ tall - dead/low vitality - less than 10 years safe life left - one trunk to be retained. No mention of DED.

So many trees removed round here - chestnuts brown with leaf miner for about 4 years - not much tree planting. Trees around houses regarded as a nuisance not an asset.

[Mark Bolam]

If they're dead they aren't really 'surviving' are they?

[Gary Prentice]

Mark, you're being pedantic:biggrin:

[Sylvia]

See what you mean Mark - this explains:

From Appendix C [of appces A-G]

Vitality: Is a personal assessment of the tree's growth rate in the current season, in comparison to other trees within the locality, region and an indicator of the tree likely response to site change:

"Dead" is defined as "A dead or very low vitality tree" so the "dead" elms could be both dead and at the same time alive/surviving -

bit pedantic though. "Dead" really means in the way of plot 9?

[Mick Dempsey]

All elms (outside of certain areas like Brighton) are as good as dead, they're just regen from elms that died from DED (Dutch elm disease) so are effectively clones and will succumb sooner or later.

[Gary Prentice]

I can see a couple of other scenarios:

 

1) Genetic mutation of the fungus and or trees that reduce the effect of DED

2) The elm population decline to an extent that the carrier (beetle) becomes extinct or changes it's feeding/breeding habits and doesn't need elms any more.

 

 

 

It might take a few hundred thousand years, but looking on the bright side ya know.