LWEC Collaboration on Tree Health

Steps to protect UK trees from new diseases.

Trees are an important part of our rural and urban landscapes and preserving their health is especially important as the environment changes. Diseases such as acute oak decline and red pine needle blight have become established in the UK, whilst there are a range of other threats on the horizon.

Working with Defra, the Forestry Commission, other partners and stakeholders, LWEC held a workshop on 6 May to identify and begin to prioritise evidence and innovation gaps (specific and generic, immediate and long-term) to secure tree health in a changing environment and to consider the overall priority for addressing the top pests and pathogens that threaten trees in Great Britain. You can download the workshop presentations below

Following the workshop, organisers prepared a short document to outline the current state of knowledge and identify key areas and needs for further research and evidence. This can also be downloaded below. It will be used by Defra and the Forestry Commission to inform an action plan for securing tree health. LWEC will now consider how these evidence gaps can be addressed by its partners. In addition, a longer note of the workshop is also available