Beech Trees at risk

I am getting worried about our Beech trees. we are surrounded by them and they are showing signs of stress. They started loosing their leaves in August and all the leaves were gone by mid October. They also have produced a heavy mast which is a stress indicator.
I have found these reports at

City of London

and
http://www.nbu.ac.uk/iccuk/indicators/26.htm (which is a bit out of date but interesting)

They both show that drought is seriously affecting them. Has anyone else observed problems, as it would interesting to see how they are faring in different parts of the country?

 

Very interesting Blackthorn and thanks for the links. I hadn't noticed it with beech, but a large ash in my garden lost all of its leaves early and it now has an enormous crop of seeds. Oaks are in trouble and the horse chestnuts are suffering horribly from a foreign moth larvae. Shape of things to come?

 

Hi Blackthorn, we're in the River Camel valley and I can't say I've noticed the beech leaves falling off as early as you have. The sycamore began to lose leaves at the end of August and the rest of the trees lost theirs at the beginning of October when the heavy gales came. What is a mast and I'll go and have a look to see if there is evidence of it on my beech trees?

 

Hi Celia, we are up at Davidstow, so maybe there is a weather difference. The 'mast' are the fruiting nuts of the beech, there could well be plenty on the ground. Finches feed on them in large numbers. You may also notice in spring if masses of seedlings emerge.

Hi Hornbeam, the Ash doesn't seem too bad but the Chestnut's leaves browned early, not sure if it's due to the moth or drought. Both the Oak and the Sycamore still have a few leaves. Didn't think anything could kill Sycamore. After the floods at Boscastle I walked up the valley and there was a mass of seedlings pinging up ready to replace the fallen trees. Am I right in saying that these trees are not native but American imports that tend to out-compete our native trees?

 

Yes Blackthorn, we had lots of beech nuts this year, they actually fell quite early. My car is underneath the tree and it was always covered from about September onwards.

 

Beech hedges up here have lost more leaves than usual, but what's most noticeable is that it's my young trees that have lost leaves - the older ones all around are ok. Looks like the more chance trees have had to develop their roots, the more able they are to resist problems.

 

Got my BES journal today; apparently foresters are considering reducing the amount of Beech planted in the S.E. as the weather conditions are changing so fast that it is not likely to survive productively in my area. It doesn't like the summer drought and interferes with the growth rates in subsequent years. As far as mast production goes though I'd say it probably doesn't make a heap of difference to the tree, they are so irregular in their production anyway. Used to be a cause of celebration in a heavy mast year..Get a pig!

 

It's strange Dendy if the young trees are losing their leaves, sounds worrying.
Interesting jazid, what's the BES journal as I would like to read more?
I always was told that beech trees produced heavy mast when under stress as a way of ensuring the next generation before they copped it. We did have pigs - but we've eaten them with no plans to get more.

 

The only beech tree I have seen dead this year was about 200 years old and had an accident with a chain saw after house changed owners. All other beeches look quite normal.

 

Waco: I'm frightened to ask! :eek:

I think the biggest danger to trees will be from honey fungus. Trees drought stressed in the summer then inundated with 'monsoon' conditions now could lead to a lot of trees succumbing over the next couple of years.

 

Not seen any probs with beech, but as some of the others have said, horse chestnut has really got a problem, most smaller trees I've seen have sap oozing from their trunks and most lost their leaves early.
I think the so called sycamores tend to scorch in hot weather, but I have notice a leaf problem the last couple of years, it looks like some form of insect damage. Think they are a european tree blackthorn, not to be confused with the more ornamental acers from the USA and Canada.

 

Just looked it up and you're right Pete, introduced in the 13th century from Central Europe apparently.

 

British Ecological Soc. It's a quarterly gossip for those with such inclinations 'Trade Mag' if you like.

I read that the Sycamore - Acer pseudoplatanoides was misnamed by one W. Shakespeare who mistook it for the Sycomore - Ficus sycomorus an African fig of great utility to the ancients which is also known as the biblical 'Sycamore' and the 'Mulberry Fig'. Linnaeus sorted the problems out.

Think the country would have been better off with the latter species myself.

 

I think I'm right in saying that the plane tree (Platanus) is called "sycamore" in the US.
And apparently, (maybe someone from north of the border can confirm or deny this), in Scotland sycamore (acer) is referred to as "plane".

 

I've heard it called that, way back when I was a kid.... but not sure how widespread that is - maybe just people getting it wrong! :D