Invasive pests and hot weather threatening Guernsey's trees
Serena Sandhu has this report
Guernsey's trees are coming under increasing threat from hot weather and invasive pests, conservationists warn.
The charity, Guernsey Trees for Life says recent dry conditions, combined with invasive diseases, are putting more of the island's native species at risk.
Diseases already identified in Guernsey include sweet chestnut blight, which was detected in the island just last month, and Ash dieback - which has already spread across much of the island since it was first recorded in 2018. There are fears other diseases could yet make themselves known.
The charity says: "The combination of drought stress and multiple pests and diseases is cumulative and will be too much for some tree species.
"For example, it is possible that although 5% of Guernsey's Ash population might survive Ash dieback, the survivors will be picked off by another new pest, Emerald ash borer which is rapidly spreading west from Eurasia and to which Ash has no known resistance."
Losing an entire species that once made up a tenth of the island's tree cover will have a big impact. Andy McCutcheon, Trees for life, says: "We'll lose a lot of food sources for native species of invertebrates and other species for which they require trees to survive and thrive."
These threats to the tree population can be combatted by:
Maintaining vigilance through plant health controls
Applying biosecurity protocols to prevent the introduction and spread of new pests
Planting a range of native trees