A new national monitoring project aims to help prevent the potential spread of a serious pest affecting spruce trees – the larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus).

Forest Research reports a record number of tree pest and disease enquiries.

Recently published research in the Journal of Fungi reveals the destructive tree pathogen Phytophthora ramorum originates from the laurisilva forests of East Asia.

The FUTURE OAK project, comprising scientists at Bangor University, Aberystwyth University, Forest Research and Sylva Foundation, will study how oak microbiomes are affected by environmental change and disease.

Research finds that when bacteria and beetle larvae associated with acute oak decline were used to infect oak logs, there was a significant increase in the variety and abundance of damaging genes expressed by the bacteria, particularly those of Brenneria goodwinii, the main bacterial culprit in causing the stem rot associated with acute oak decline.

A pioneering new project to investigate the health of our British oak trees has been given the go-ahead.

Scientists at the University of Southampton and Forest Research say understanding the risk of damage by deer to new and existing forests in Britain is crucial when considering their expansion.

Living Ash Project Phase 2 funding announced. The new five year programme is the second phase of the project which is aiming to secure trees tolerant to the fungal disease ash dieback for future seed production.

In late November over twenty tree specialists from Wales, mainly foresters and arborists, near Newport in Gwent for a tree health workshop.