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Building Regulations and Accreditation
News Release from: Forestry Commission
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 September 2003
How Did Trees Do In 2002?
The condition of trees in Britain declined slightly last year, according to the latest research published by the Forestry Commission.
A new information note, Forest Condition 2002, finds that although growing conditions during 2002 were generally good, the crown condition of trees changed a little or declined when compared to the previous year Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, Scots pine, oak and beech were the species assessed in the survey, carried out on a total of 8460 trees distributed over 353 plots across Britain
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 15 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Steven Hendry of Forest Research, the research agency of the Forestry Commission, said the survey, carried out between June and September last year, was largely based on an assessment of the crown density of the trees surveyed.
"The degree of transparency of the crown is used as an indicator of tree condition," he explained.
"Our results show changes in condition compared to last year were minor in Norway spruce, Scots pine and beech, but marked reductions in crown density occurred in Sitka spruce and oak.
"In Sitka spruce this deterioration was almost entirely due to widespread defoliation by the green spruce aphid Elatobium abietinum, with attacks reported at two-thirds of the survey plots.
The decline in the condition of oak reflected a minor reduction in the crown density of many trees and could not be attributed to a detectable increase in attacks by pests or pathogens." Copies of Forest Condition 2002 are available free from Forestry Commission Publications.
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