Welsh Plant Health Surveillance Network

Leone Olivieri and Racheal Lee by monitoring instrumentation in an area of recently-felled woodland. The Welsh Plant Health Surveillance Network (WPHSN) is a ground-breaking Welsh Government funded project designed to monitor native and invasive pests and pathogens that can pose a threat to health of plants and trees across Wales. Insect and spore traps installed at strategic woodland sites will allow us to record presence and/or abundance of insects and fungal spores. The insect samples are typically analysed by staff in Wales while others, and all the collected spores, are sent to our state-of-the-art plant health facilities at Alice Holt for in-depth laboratory testing. Data from the WPHSN will be used to inform the development of priority goals and policies relating to woodland management in Wales.

A full review of the first season is available for download as a publication on the FR website. This document describes and reports on the first year of activities undertaken for this innovative project.

Research objectives

Racheal Lee sampling for bark beetles in a log from the stem of a felled conifer. The objective of this ongoing research is to deliver the tree-based component of the Welsh Plant Health Surveillance Network (WPHSN), a Welsh Government plant health initiative. Biological samples collected by FR staff based in Wales are securely sent for analysis and diagnosis by Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service laboratory staff based at Alice Holt and the Northern Research Station. Within the WPHSN, we will:

deploy spore and insect traps across Welsh woodlands;
collect data and build a distribution map of pests and pathogens, recording their abundance;
assist with decision making processes and informing the development of future policies and procedures relating to woodland management in Wales; and
work with external agencies to grow a plant health surveillance network, allowing information and advice to be readily shared with the sector and providing accessible practical support for the early detection and identification of pests and pathogens.

Latest updates

2023 – the second season

33 cross vane-traps for the detection of Ips typographus and Ips cembrae bark beetles were deployed in carefully selected high risk sites across Wales, utilising the ‘J’ formation and a south-north axis line to ensure adequate coverage across Wales.
34 canopy insect traps were deployed in the Welsh Government Woodland Estate (managed by Natural Resources Wales) and at sentinel sites across Wales for the detection of oak processionary moth (OPM) and Agrilus spp.
Fungal spore traps remain deployed at Talybont-on-Usk and at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales (NBGW), with additional surveillance carried out at The Cott in Southeast Wales.
Collaboration with the sentinel site network has continued, with more sites coming on board this year and into 2024.

2022 – the first season

20 cross-vane traps for the detection of Ips typographus and Ips cembrae bark beetles were deployed in a J-shaped arrangement from mid to south Wales. The location of traps was informed by previous work led by Professor Hugh Evans.
Fungal spore traps were deployed at Talybont-on-Usk and at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales (NBGW).
Collaboration was initiated with staff managing some of the Wales plant health sentinel sites – initially those at NBGW, Loggerheads Country Park, Powis Castle, and Plas Newydd (Anglesey).
A number of canopy insect traps were deployed on parts of the Welsh Government Woodland Estate (managed by Natural Resources Wales) and at two of the sentinel sites; Loggerheads Country Park and NBGW. Additional traps were installed between June and August for the detection of oak processionary moth (OPM) and Agrilus spp.

Our Involvement

Racheal Lee (L) and Leone Olivieri (R) preparing to engage in an informal knowledge exchange event at the 2023 Royal Welsh Show.

Research and development activities.
Field surveys.
Laboratory analyses.
Data recording.
Reporting to plant health officials in Wales.
Collaboration with external agencies.
Developing public awareness e.g., through knowledge exchange activities, digital media, and at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.

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