News
Christmas Tree Poachers Thwarted by Stinky Trees
In an attempt to thwart potential Christmas tree thieves, a southern New Jersey town has taken drastic and smelly measures.
Port Republic, a small town in north-eastern Atlantic City, started spraying evergreen trees a few years ago with a chemical that would make the tree smell like rotten eggs if brought inside a warm home.
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Amazon Trees Less Vulnerable to Changing Climate: Study
According to a new study, many Amazon tree species may be more likely to survive global warming than previously thought.
Genetically this may be so, however the authors of the study still caution that drought and forest fires as a result of a hotter climate would still negatively impact the trees.
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Adelaide Storm Causes Tree Damage and Power Outages
Adelaide shoppers escaped injury recently as strong winds brought down a Norfolk Island pine tree that crushed five cars and damaged five others.
Elsewhere in the city, the same winds brought down trees, damaging roofs and causing widespread blackouts prompting more than 200 calls for emergency services.
Damage to the cars, which were parked at the Northpark Shopping Centre, is estimated to be worth up to $120,000.
Rowling’s Children Get Their Own Hogwarts Castle
Despite many complaints from neighbours, author the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling has finally won permission to build two tree houses in her yard that are in the style of the Hogwarts school.
The two-storey structures will be for her children David, 9, and Kenzie, 7, in the grounds of her 17th century mansion in Edinburgh at an estimated cost of £250,000. The tree houses will have tall, conical cedar shingle roofs that are connected by elevated walkways and rope bridges.
Kids Encouraged to Get Outside and Climb Trees
The latest trend of health and safety paranoia has been keeping kids out of trees for far too long. Now, groups like the National Trust are trying to get kids to put down their computer and video games in favour of this old past time: climbing trees.
The National Trust has kitted up trees in urban forests in Stourhead gardens, Stourton and Wilts with harnesses, ropes and helmets to provide a fun and safe tree climbing experience.
Pests and Disease No Match for New Jersey Trees
Woodland Park, New Jersey, is celebrating after winning the war against tree pests this summer. The gypsy moth, Asian long-horned beetle, and a tree fungus sweeping its way across Pennsylvania are no match for pest and disease control efforts in the city. In 2008, more than 340,000 acres of trees were affected by gypsy moths, but this year only 1068 acres seem to be infested. Of course, the egg masses that have been spotted are quite healthy, cautions Carl P Schulze Jr., director of the state Department of Agriculture’s Division of Plant Industry. “It’s below the radar but it’s not gone.” The Asian long-horned beetle may have also been eradicated after a 10-year battle with the pest thanks to massive quarantine efforts made by agricultural officials. The dreaded emerald ash borer beetle also hasn’t yet appeared in New Jersey, which is another big win. Tree services had put up more than 680 sticky traps in preparation, but they came up with nothing. Since peak pest and disease season is over, officials are now looking ahead to next season.
Source:
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/NJ-trees-winning-wars-against-bugs-disease-3834899.php
Residents Upset Over Excessive Tree Pruning
The residents of Kooyong Road in Toorak are upset by the trees on public and private land by Stonnington council and CitiPower contractor Vemco. The residents were shocked to find that strangers were cutting their private trees, and that similar pruning had left council trees looking in bad shape. Resident Lynette Stewart said: “We understand the safety precautions. However, some of them have been cut back as far as five metres.” Simon Thomas, Stonnington acting Chief Executive, said that it was done to keep the trees healthy and out of danger. “Pruning is required to maintain the health and structure of street trees; to clear them from electricity lines, private buildings and dwellings; to remove deadwood; and uplift the trees over the roadway and footpath,” he said. Proper tree care and pruning was especially necessary after the high amount of rain the community had in the past year, and the pruning helps to reduce the risk of fire and power outages.
Source:
http://www.melbourneweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/kooyong-road-tree-lop-raises-resident-ire/2657398.aspx
UK Trees Under Threat of Pests and Disease
Recently, the Forestry Commission in the UK has warned that their trees there are facing an “unprecedented level of threat” from pests and diseases. UK Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman launched the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan in October 2011, warning that millions of trees could be lost in the next few years as a result of invasive species, pathogens such as Phytophthora ramorum, and pests such as the great spruce bark beetle. Since the UK is an island, the trees are even more vulnerable: “If pests do get through, then they arrive without the spectrum of natural enemies and that is one element that can make the effect within the arrival country much worse than in the country of origin,” explained Hugh Evans, head of Forest Research in Wales. There are current control measures in the UK, explains John Morgan, head of the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service. “We try to prevent pest and diseases entering the country; then, if they have arrived, we switch to a policy of eradication and try to stop them becoming established.” Failing that, they try to contain the spread of the pest or disease and practise other tree care efforts.
Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19167307
