ash tree disease

True, but has that been identified as a problem in this case?

Here is a co-incidence - today my animal science course lecture is on the beavers. I will try to raise that very question and see what answers I get.

I suspect most of the disapproval is because the Tayside release was without any controls or records, and the "They did not even research the nearest match to the originals" was secondary.

Last week the subject was the re-introduction of water voles, almost wiped out by mink escapees, which are slim enough to follow the voles into what they thought was the safety of their burrow. Otters also catch and eat them, but do not fit into the tunnels, so have to give up and find something else (or a slower and less alert vole) Altering their habitat by planting tree plantations right up to the edge of streams did them no favours either. Tree planting is now done more sensitively and mink are detected and removed The voles are starting to thrive again.

A sort of answer, Bags. There are apparently discussions still ongoing about what kind of beavers should be re-introduced into Scotland. The ones from Norway in the trial were stipulated by the Scottish government as being most similar to the ones that had died out/been hunted to extinction (I sense the hand of Mr Salmond there). All kinds of things are being recorded and examined to see the effects on everything from water quality to introduced pathogens to assess what the next move should be.

Bavaria had no history of beavers of their own, so chose a dozen Norwegian, a dozen Fench and so on, so they have a mixture.

Teaching packs on the beaver project were handed out to us. I was cheeky and asked for a second one, which I shall post to you if you will pm me your address.

Re my ash sapling - it was ok when I identified it...and is now looking rather sick, with brown patches on leaves....

Thank you, elegran. Yes please!

Hello allie - you lot are beavering away well off topic aren't you.
Well your ash sapling's leaves will be dying off right now allie due to autumn. Apparently vertical scarring is a sign you can see in the winter.
What cheered me up today was to see a really big field maple. A rare sight I think. It was as big as a fairly grown-up oak and looked stunning with its leaves all yellow. I have always tended to think of this lovely native as a hedgerow shrub rather than something that can grow into a full sized tree.

It always happens JessM. Stream of consciousness or adjacent neurons or something.

Any of you who are stuck for Christmas presents, I think the Woodland Trust will need a lot of help next year. They plant a lot of saplings, many of them being Ash.

And where were the Woodland Trust, the Forestry Commission, etc when we needed them? They must have known this disease was at our doorstep, as it were. So they write the odd letter to that buffoon, tory, ass, Owen Paterson (who,is too busy organising badger culls to take any notice) and then sit back and let it happen.
Could they not have alerted the press, environment groups, started a campaign, ANYTHING Useless lot of idiots

They need to start planting other species, asap. Preferably from saplings grown in the UK!

Yes, in the empty spaces left by the ashes.

The FC is a government department and are, sadly, constrained by said buffoons over what they may, or may not do. The FC staff DID alert government and I understand they did offer sound advice; which the government declined to take. Video below to help identify ash tree disease.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sI7hgFZ-4g

Now there is a problem with larch trees and to a lesser degree the Scots Pine.

Forgot to post link

www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebNewsReleases/47B4C4FDDC42FA43802579B30057DF9E

Well, I'm glad the Forestry Commission is 'onto' the larch and Scots pine disease, but we shouldn't really be surprised that plants get diseases. A certain amount is inevitable.

The larches around here (western Scotland) have been looking particularly lovely this autumn as their leaves have changed colour. Well, they always do look lovely actually.