imported plants threaten trees

Bad news indeed, but nothing new though is it? Importation of non-native, hazardous, injurous and invasive plants is nothing new though, and Britain has allowed it to happen for centuries. Elizabethans brought in the potato (good) and tobacco (bad). The Georgians & Victorians bought is such delights as Japanese knotweed, buddleia and Himalayan balsam! The berks.

 

Don't forget the Victorians introduction of that wonderful garden specimen Bindweed

 

I cant help thinking we might have gone slightly off track here.
Me included.

We seem to be referring to what is native and what is not.

But I dont think that was really Hydrogen's point.
It was about importing diseased plants from abroad, native or not, not much new to import these days, regarding actual plants.

 

Sorry, pete - you're right. Thread's been derailed a bit.

DEFRA have released an action plan on how to protect Britain from foreign plant pathogens: http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13657-tree-health-actionplan.pdf

 

Well I suppose it is about time HA.
Other countries do seem to be more on the ball about such things.

 

I done think that imported plants threaten trees. How can you say that? Have you tested this thing?

 

I don't need to test it lol plants are like people they can carry disease. So moving them around the globe spreads disease. It's a fact.

 

Welcome to the site Nick :D

 

Hi, nick

Don't know whether yours is a serious comment or trolling, but I point you to these following references:

• Forestry Commission - Plant Health - P ramorum FAQs
  
  Which includes the paragraph; "Unfortunately tree and plant pests and diseases such as P. ramorum are on the increase. One of the reasons is the recent huge expansion of international trade in recent decades, including the trade in semi-mature ‘specimen’ trees and plants, especially those with root balls with soil. This has increased the risk of accidental introductions of pests and diseases from other parts of the world."

• Forestry Commission - Biosecurity Programme Board
  
  Which includes the paragraph; [The Biosecurity Programme Board objective is to] “Preserve the health and vitality of our forests, trees and woodlands through strategies which exclude, detect, and respond to, existing and new pests and pathogens of trees, whether of native or exotic origin.”
  
  
• Forestry Commission - Plant health - Pests and diseases
  
  This lists a number of harmful threats to UK trees and shrubs, from domestic and foreign biotic pathogens.

So I'd say that what HYDROGEN86 posted is valid. The threats from imported foreign flora is very real, and millions of pounds of research into tackling the problems is being spent by the UK government.

 

Wikipedia.
Dutch elm disease (DED) is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native populations of elms which had not had the opportunity to evolve resistance to the disease.

Me.
Trees are just the tip of the iceberg, this problem has wider effects on all of the British countryside and wildlife. To say it does not, to me is like denying the holocaust

 

Call me naive, but we could still achieve ornamental diversity through seed grown plants couldn't we? How long would the pathogens survive dry and chilled for example?