by Adrian Harris
Back in 1995 the foresters of Marin County in the USA were shocked to find large numbers of oaks dying. Their concern grew as reports came in of more oak deaths in Santa Cruz and Monterey, but this was just the beginning of what came to be called 'Sudden Oak Death'.
Despite intensive research it was only in July 2000 that the cause of Sudden Oak Death was isolated as a previously unknown forest pathogen: the mold-like Phytophthora ramorum.
This is a brand new species, a strain of the same family of fungus that caused the Irish potato famine. It's airborne and aggressive, with no known natural enemies.
"For the first time we have an organism that can infect a broad host range of plants in this country, with a biology that's completely unknown," says Matteo Garbelotto, a forest pathologist at the University of California in Berkeley. "It's like all of a sudden finding a very poisonous snake that can fly."
In California, Oregon and other states, oaks are dying in their thousands. In one case that illustrates the virulence of the fungus, all the oak trees in a nine square mile area of Berkeley in California died. Cankers develop on trees and they appear to bleed to death as sap spills from them, turning red and running down the trunk. Infected trees can die within months.
While some species sustain lethal infections, other plants become 'carriers' of the disease. Research scientists don’t yet fully understand the mechanisms, but the disease can be transmitted via wind-driven rain, the movement of soil and water, and by moving infected plant parts.
Might the English oak suffer the same fate as the elm and be wiped out in Britain?
Phytophthora ramorum appears to thrive in cooler, wetter climates. In California, it is found only in the coastal counties, but it is found in Europe. Symptoms were first recorded in 1993 in Germany and the Netherlands. Since then it's been found in Spain, France, Poland, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, and Sweden, with the first finding in the UK in April 2002.
The fungus has since been found at 280 sites here, including on established plants growing outside. Rhododendron and Viburnum are the main hosts, but it has also been found on Camellia, Pieris, Kalmia, Syringa and, most recently in 10 yew trees in a Lancashire nursery. Thankfully, the disease has not yet been found in established trees anywhere in Europe.
How susceptible are European species?
Roddie Burgess, head of plant health at the Forestry Commission, said, "We are dealing with the unknown here. We do not know how great the threat is but there is a severe mortality rate among American oaks. It is possible that English oaks may have resistance but we just do not know… Four types of American oaks get the disease and it is fatal."
Initial research suggests that our oaks are more resistant than their American cousins, but it also indicates that other species such as sweet chestnut and beech may be highly susceptible. Research is ongoing and provisional results are expected early in 2004.
What is being done?
Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) is spending the summer searching the country for symptoms of the disease, and the import of trees, plants, wood and isolated bark is strictly regulated.
Meanwhile, scientists are desperately looking for a cure. At the moment there are no treatments for S.O.D., and no way to determine if an infected tree will live or die after contracting the disease; quite why some recover and some don't remains a mystery.
Researchers are studying organic chemicals that might prevent infection and testing protective trunk coatings that could be applied to a tree. They're also trying to develop ways to boost a tree's own defensive response. Though nothing yet has proved to be a 'magic bullet', there have been some promising results in laboratory trials.
The alternative is to remove host species like bay laurel from the forests, but that could have unknown effects on an ecosystem.
Knowing where Phytophthora ramorum came from would help, but that's just another mystery. It could be an exotic organism, accidentally introduced from a region where native plants have resistance to it. Or it could be a new hybrid species produced by genetic change. Or it could have been around all along, benign until some unknown factor caused it to become destructive.
Eco-magical Strategies
What can you do to help? Unless you're a biologist or forester, do what we do best - magic!
Before we turn to magical work we need to be clear in our intent: Is it ethical to attack a fungus with magic? If the fungus is in this land through human intervention, then it seems appropriate that we try and fix the damage we've caused. But if it's evolved naturally, then should we interfere?
Ultimately it's your decision, but in any eco-magical work it's wise to take council from other beings. You might journey for advice or do some divinatory work before taking action. Do what feels appropriate for you. We all have allies - ask them for advice.
If you decide to intervene, then you might send positive energy to humans who are fighting the disease. There are many people working hard to stop S.O.D. adding to the damage of our eco-system. Why not send them inspiration and creativity to help them in their work? You might focus magical energy on the DEFRA logo as a channel to those working there - Their website address is below.
If you feel more attuned to Nature spirits than human ones, try to communicate with the tree Spirits to find out the best way forward. We know that the disease now exists in this land, and has infected plants here - notably several yew trees. The yew spirit is ancient and wise, so may know what we can do to help.
You might choose to weave magical protection for our trees by strengthening their resistance or aim to slow the spread of the disease.
Alternatively, you could work directly with the pathogen itself. Dragon has posted images of the Phytophthora ramorum on our website: www.dragonnetwork.org/sodfr.htm
You might use these to try and communicate with or to attack the fungus.
Or perhaps it's better to call to a natural predator of the fungus. Oak trees thrive in old forests that have thick layers of soil rich with billions of diverse organisms. Perhaps there's some a suitable bacterial or fungal predators that's native to the UK.
Whatever you do, I would urge you to do it soon. The devastation of the oak population in America was made far worse through delay. So far we have been lucky in the UK. Let's make the most of the opportunity.
If you have any ideas or comments to share, I'd be very pleased to hear from you.
Adrian Harris.
adrian [at] gn [dot] apc [dot] org
Links:
'Sudden Oak Death' Phytophthora ramorum:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pestnote/sudden.htm
The latest information from DEFRA on Phytophthora ramorum fungus & risks.
Forestry Commission Information:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/WCAS-4Z5JLL
The Dragon Sudden Oak Death Campaign page:
http://www.dragonnetwork.org/sodfr.htm
Background and eco-magic ideas
