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Written question asked by Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative) on Tuesday, 8 October 2013, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 October 2013 (named day). It was answered by Dan Rogerson (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 16 October 2013 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Trees: Diseases

Question

(2) how many trees were killed by (a) great spruce bark beetle, dendroctonus micans, (b) horse chestnut leaf miner, cameraria ohridella, (c) oak pinhole borer, platypus cylindrus, (d) oak processionary moth, thaumetopoea processionea, and (e) phytophthora alni in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nicholas Soames:

Answer

Individual tree deaths that could be directly attributed to the pests and pathogens listed are not recorded by DEFRA or the Forestry Commission.

Many trees that have been affected by pests and diseases will be felled long before they finally die and it is often the case that trees that do die have been affected by a combination of factors over a long period. For example, a tree that suffers repeated defoliation may succumb to other environmental factors. This means that it would be very difficult to attribute the death to a single factor.

In some cases many more trees can be felled as a result of the control measures than as a result of the pest or disease. For example, for the control of Asian longhorn beetle in Kent, which appears to have been successful, 2,166 host trees were removed but only 66 were found to be infested.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
170557; 568 c758W
Session
2013-14
Subjects
Diseases Trees
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk