5.7 C
London
Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Beauly celebration for its ancient wych elm

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) laser-scanned the elm as part of work to document ancient Scottish trees.

HES has previously used the technology to create digital images of historic buildings.

Dutch Elm Disease is a fungal infection spread by tiny bark beetles. It can rapidly wither and kill healthy trees.

The disease arrived in the south of England in the 1960s and since then it has spread across much of the British mainland, massively reducing the elm population.

In recent years it has been moving west through Aberdeenshire and Moray and into the Highlands, but it was hoped that the lower density of elm trees, cooler climate and prevailing winds would slow down its progress.

In 2018, warm weather was blamed for speeding up the spread of Dutch Elm Disease in the Inner Moray Firth area of the Highlands.

Wych elm is the only elm regarded as being truly native to the UK, according to the Woodland Trust.

It usually grows in hilly or stoney woodlands, or near streams and ditches and is hardier than the English elm. Its name refers to how easily the wood can be bent.

Source: BBC

Latest news
Related news

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here