Scotland’s forests are facing new threats from pests, diseases, and climate change. In this article, we will discuss what we are doing to prepare our forests for the future.
If you do not know what the threat will look like in the future, it is difficult to prepare for health risks. But that is what forest planners are trying to do right now. We do not know which tree diseases to expect in the future. All we can do is take action after the threat has been identified and then learn to ‘live with it’.
Tree diseases such as Dutch Elm Disease are well known. It first spread to Britain over a hundred years ago, and although the first pandemic has subsided, more powerful pathogens have been caught in the 1960s. Within 20 years, most of the mature elephants had died. It will continue to return in a 20-year cycle.
Recently, P. RamorumLach disease is a major cause of death, especially in the wetlands of southern and western Scotland. Can’t turn it off. The only way to slow the spread of the disease is to fall on the infected lach trees and those around them. That is why in the last two years, more than half a million lorries have been slaughtered in Aran.
About P. Ramor
Alan Gale, Director of Forest Development and Land Adaptation and Resilience in Scotland, said, “I could not believe that 20 years ago most of southern and western Scotland would be lost to you. We have seen that the disease is rapidly affecting and changing all plans. It’s terrible in some places. ”
It is because of these unknown concerns that forests are changing the trees they plant. We need to design mosaic forests of different tree species and plant new species that are better adapted to climate change. And we need to find trees that are more resistant to natural disasters, such as hurricanes and diseases.
Some of the most widely grown species in Scotland today are:
- Noble Fair
- Western Red Cedar
- Western Hemlock
- Macedonian pine
- European Silver Fir
- Pacific Silver Fir
These species grow well in Scotland and forest planners are expecting them to grow within fifty years when the weather warms up.
Many are particularly suitable for forestry. Red cedar can be a very durable wood veneer. Other species, such as Noble Fern, bring a variety of colors and beautiful cones to the beauty and diversity of the forests.
Wood and climate
These tree species are planted in Scotland where the soil and climate are favorable. The trick is to make sure they are suitable when the weather is warm for the rest of the century. As these trees grow and develop today, the trees must perform well in the current and changing climate.
For example, we planted 500 acres[500 ha]of land on the gloves near Pebbles. These include indigenous Scottish oak, horn beam, birch, Noble fur, Norwegian spruce, and many Douglas pine.
Breeding experiments in the Netherlands Horsesburg
Outside of Dalbetty, 10 acres[10 ha]of land near Solway Beach has been rehabilitated by Douglas Pine. This is expected to be one of the best ways to cope with climate change.
Although it began to produce a variety of forests 10 or more years ago, it is now accelerating. More forests in Scotland and England are seeing this process as a key part of the solution to climate change challenges.
As Allan puts it, “There is a great deal of pressure to find more diversity in our forests in Scotland. It is especially important for our wood-growing forests to be more resistant to pests, diseases, and climate change. With climate change, science is clear, but things are not very clear about pests and diseases. We have to plan for all the events. We do not know what will happen and the effects are often very rapid and devastating.
Just like human health, there is no time to be satisfied. New disease, Rain, Was found in the Cornwall Forest last autumn. This was the first time this was known in the UK. They show how fast many epidemics, including those in Scotland, are spreading.
Allen continued, “That is why we are accelerating our efforts to increase Scotland’s forests. We have been spreading the dangers for a long time by planting different species.
