Sad end for Elm trees

[RobinP]

A depressing story here:

BBC News - Newsnight - The decline of the English elm tree

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by RobinP

A depressing story here:

BBC News - Newsnight - The decline of the English elm tree

Robin. It is a sad story. I spent many years in the 70's & 80's cutting down these dead and dying 'once magnificent' trees. The younger generation only have to look at some of John Constable's famous paintings, (as the 'Newsnight piece says), to see what our landscape was once like.

There was some hope a while back when a hybrid between Common Elm and Wych Elm was discovered in Hampshire that appeared to be resistant to the disease. But I have heard nothing of this for some time.

The one good thing is that Elm still grows in some quantity in hedgerows over much of England, (though as soon as it reaches an age where a 'mature' bark forms, around 5-10 years, the beetle which carries the disease attacks and these young trees die back). But if conditions were to change, and the beetle were to die out, there would be plenty of young Elms ready to take advantage and perhaps once again we would see those 'Great Elms' in our landscape.
Dorts.

[Miss Caretaker]

I am one of the "people under 40 years old" (not that I'm showing off ) who have never seen the Constable-esque landscapes full of mature elms and sadly I never will. I suppose that the one saving grace is that any species dependant upon the elm will still have the young trees to feed from, I didn't know that the disease only affected mature bark. Hopefully the government's cut-backs won't impact too much upon the work to eradicate the disease (or at least control it) though I expect that's hoping for too much...
Jo

[Dorts]

The only way I have ever thought the disease could be controlled would be to 'coppice' all young Elm every 2-3 years throughout Britain, (an almost impossible task I know).
This would remove the habitat for the Elm Bark Beetle. It can then be assumed that in time the beetle would die out.
Just a thought.
Dorts.

[Miss Caretaker]

Not a bad idea really. I know the logistics would be difficult and it would be a massive undertaking but I can't think of a better way. Without eradicating the beetle, Dutch Elm disease will always be with us.