Phytophthora surveys
Update During summer 2007 we carried out a further two surveys to determine the presence or absence of Phytophthora ramorum and/or Phytophthora kernoviae in woodlands which are in admixture with Rhododendron ponticum and/or Vaccinium spp. These were the National Re-Survey of England and Wales, and the Intensive Tree Survey. Staff of the Technical Services Unit (TSU) of Forest Research carried out the work. In 2005 the Interdepartmental Phytophthora Programme Board recommended that all the high and low-risk woodland sites in England and Wales, which had been surveyed by the FC in 2004, should be re-surveyed over the next five years, with 20% of the sites being inspected annually, to ascertain whether they were still free from P. ramorum and/or P. kernoviae. The first traunche of woodlands to be surveyed under this National Re-survey of England and Wales was carried out in August and September 2005, when 149 woods were inspected. 11 samples were collected from symptomatic plants, and all were found to be negative for either disease. Between June and August 2006, a further 126 woods were inspected, and from these 25 samples were sent for analysis and all bar one were negative. The positive sample came from a wood in Hampshire, which was re-surveyed. Further samples collected from the wood were found to be negative. Between June and October 2007, 186 woodlands in England and Wales, again in admixture with rhododendron and/or Vaccinium, were re-surveyed. From 18 of the woods symptomatic material was tested using Lateral Flow Devices (LFD’s) and these showed up positive for Phytophthora. 33 samples were sent to the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) for testing. Nine samples were positive for P ramorum, one from a wood in West Sussex, and eight from two sites in Cornwall. A further seven positives for P. ramorum were found while carrying out the 3km survey around the infected wood in West Sussex. The second survey we carried out was an Intensive Tree Survey to assess the Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae In Woodland Trees in Cornwall. Similar surveys had taken place since 2004 on trees in 33 woodlands in Cornwall. Out of approximately 750 trees that had symptoms that could have been caused by P. ramorum and P. kernoviae, approximately 89 trees were confirmed as having bleeding cankers or foliar infections caused by P. ramorum. Both of these survey reports are now available on this web page.
(Updated March 2008)
2007 Reports Report on the Forestry Commission Re-Survey of Woodlands 2007 to Assess the Level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in Woodlands in England and Wales or P. kernoviae or both. Report On The Forestry Commission Intensive Tree Surveys 2004 - 2007 To Assess The Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae In Woodland Trees in Cornwall. 2006 Reports Report on the 2006 Forestry Commission Forest Condition Phytophthora Survey to Assess the Level of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in Great Britain Report on the Forestry Commission Re-Survey of Woodlands 2006 to Assess the Level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in Woodlands in England and Wales Report on the 1st Forestry Commission Woodland Survey 2006 to Assess the Level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in Devon Report on the 2nd Forestry Commission Woodland Survey 2006 to Assess the Level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in Targeted Woodlands in Devon 2005 Reports First Forestry Re-survey of Woodlands 2005 to Assess the level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in Woodlands in England and Wales Report on the Forestry Commission Woodland Survey 2005 to Assess the Level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in Cornwall 2004 Reports Forestry Commission Woodland Surveys 2004 to Assess the Level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum in British Woodlands Second Forestry Commission Woodland Survey 2004 to Assess the Level of Incidence of Phytophthora ramorum in British Woodlands
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