Department of Environment, How you can help Tel: 01624 801263 Food and Agriculture E-mail: [email protected] If you are visiting or working in affected woodland, please Detailed guidance is available from: Phytophthora help to slow the spread of Forestry.gov.uk/biosecurity plant diseases by taking some ramorum simple precautions Other sources of information: disease of  Forestry.gov.uk/pramorum  Stay on marked paths; larch trees  Scrape mud, soil and debris off your boots  Fera.defra.gov.uk and cycle tyres before leaving; and the Public Forestry  Brush leaves, twigs and debris off your  Facebook.com/DefaHillsForestsGlens Estate on the Isle of Man clothes and vehicles (and the dog!) before Issued January 2014 (1) by: leaving; Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture  Don’t remove wood or plant material from the woodland;  All known affected sites will be clearly signed and we request that you follow any additional instructions on these signs;  Particular care should be taken when visiting areas of heathland after visiting affected woodland.

Phytophthora ramorum Treatment & control Environmental impacts disease in the Isle of Man

Larch trees in the Isle of Man are being Currently the only effective means of The felling will Timber affected by Phytophthora ramorum. This control is to fell or kill all larch within have environmental When the bark is removed, disease has the potential to have a an affected area as quickly as possible. and landscape the timber from infected devastating effect on native flora. Here, With the level of infection we have on implications, but it trees can still be used we explain how we are dealing with it the Island, it will be necessary to within the Department’s will provide an Sawmill for post-wood, on the Public Forestry Estate. remove all of the larch in most opportunity to sawn timber products and Key Facts plantations. It may appear as though increase the age biomass fuel. some healthy-looking trees are being and species  Phytopthora ramorum wind. This can spread cut down; however, it is important to diversity of our Larch is not native to the (P. ramorum) is a the disease to other ensure all trees in an infected area are British Isles, but it has fungus-like pathogen. plants over a wider forests and long been an important The disease is known area. felled. introduce more component of many timber to affect more than 150  Spores are also spread areas of broadleaf producing forests. plant species including through water courses, trees. It will allow ecologically important the movement of The future us to create native species such as infected plants and on Where appropriate, we will restock areas that have blaeberry. soil, litter and plant riparian zones been felled with a diverse and resilient mix of species. around streams and  P. ramorum is debris caught on Careful planning and consultation with stakeholders especially destructive footwear, animals, will ensure that the next generation of Manx plan for the impacts on larch trees, capable vehicles and woodland not only benefits the environment and of climate change. of killing them within a equipment. timber production, but will increase recreational year.  Infected shrubs, such opportunities.  Infected larch needles as rhododendron can produce spores which also produce infected are carried in mist and spores. rain droplets by the

Larch trees cover 500 hectares in the Isle of Man Natural regeneration of native vegetation. and account for 20% of rowan (resilient) and blaeberry (at risk) Infected larch clearly visible the Public Forestry Estate