Oak decline could be more devastating than Dutch Elm Disease

April 2010: A growing number of cases of a new disease affecting native oaks in Britain and lack of Government research funds to fight it are creating mounting concern among tree and forestry organisations, a major conference heard this week.

Delegates to the Royal Forestry Society's packed annual conference at Stoneleigh, in Warwickshire, heard from pathologists and senior plant health officials from Forest Research, the Forestry Commission's research body, as well as other professionals about the impact of Acute Oak Decline (AOD) on the UK's best-loved trees.

There are now 55 cases of the disease confirmed at sites in the East of England, Southern England and the Midlands, with a steadily growing number of suspect sites to be confirmed.

John Jackson of the RFS who organised the conference said: "This has brought to a head considerable unease about the lack of engagement with this very real threat. Urgent action is not an option - it's a necessity."

ACTION NEEDED: A mature oak suffering from Acute Oak Decline, which will kill the tree

Bleeding on their stems

The disease affects both pedunculate and sessile oaks, Britain's two species of native oaks. Caused by a bacterial infection, the tree shows signs of bleeding on its stems and areas of dead bark appear, followed by rapid die back and death, often within a three to five year period.

Hilary Allison, policy director at the Woodland Trust, said: "The impact of the loss of an iconic tree both from our countryside and from towns would be catastrophic and therefore has the capacity to be a major threat to the UK's oak woods, both ancient and secondary."

Nothing is being done

Echoing her words, Peter Goodwin of Woodland Heritage said: "We're looking at a disease that has the potential to change our landscape even more than Dutch Elm Disease and nothing is being done about it. We can't afford a repetition of what happened then. Action is needed now."

Excellent research into Acute Oak Decline is taking place despite a severe shortage of cash within Forest Research, but the results of an application to Defra for funds to support a more co-ordinated approach on tree diseases will not be known until 2011. In the meantime, forest owners and managers are concerned that there is little understanding of how the disease spreads and therefore of how best to control it.

Supporting the urgent call to a new incoming government to allocate more funds to Forest Research to tackle these issues are the Royal Forestry Society, Woodland Trust, National Trust, Woodland Heritage, Tree Council, Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF), Arboricultural Association, Confederation of Forest Industries and Country Land and Business Association.