Plagues and pests beset our trees

Burrowing larvae and pathogens causing blight are a growing hazard for many of the best-loved trees in the landscape – the horse chestnut, elm, oak and ashTrees are looking lush this summer, but appearances can be deceptive. Britain ’s trees are being ravaged by a myriad of pests and diseases that could change the landscape out of all recognition.Many horse chestnut leaves are now turning brown, due to aleaf miner, the larva of a moth which burrows through the leaf. Even more serious is acanker bacteria disease that causes bleeding on the trunk of horse chestnuts, often killing younger trees within a few years. The disease is spreading rapidly through the UK.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Trees and forests Ash dieback Insects Fungi Environment Conservation Biology Plants Wildlife Source Type: news