Woodland Trust says support home-grown tree nurseries to reduce disease risk

The Woodland Trust is urging the government to continue support for UK tree nurseries to counter the threat posed by spiralling tree imports.

New statistics out today show that 128 million trees and shrubs were imported into the UK last year, up from 125 million the previous year – valued at £280 million.

These imports increase the risk of introducing new pests and pathogens that threaten our existing woods and trees and the many thousands of species that live on them. Oak trees, for example, can provide a home for 2,300 different species, and ash can host 955 species.

Currently, the government – through DEFRA – provides funding for tree nurseries to help them grow more trees but this support is due to end in early 2025. The Woodland Trust says growing the trees we need right here in the UK is one of the best ways to ensure we do not introduce any new tree diseases into our landscape.

Rebecca Gosling, a tree health expert from the Woodland Trust, is urging the new government to recommit to boost our domestic production of trees.

She said: "Tree disease has devastating effects on not only our trees but also on our economy too. A recent study revealed that six introduced tree pests and pathogens alone cost the UK economy £920 million annually.*

"Ash dieback was a disease brought into the country which has had a huge impact on ash woodlands in the UK, with mortality reaching 85%** of ash trees in some woodlands.

"And the latest forestry statistics show that since 2014, 21,000 hectares of larch trees have been felled due to Phytophthora ramorum. The Woodland Trust itself has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds removing larch."

Rebecca added: "We have some fantastic tree nurseries across the UK which grow the trees that the Woodland Trust and many others need. While the Trust runs the UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown scheme, there are still far too many trees being imported from elsewhere, bringing huge risk to tree health.

"It’s great that the government has supported domestic tree nurseries through significant funding over the past three years, but this comes to an end early next year and it’s crucial for the government to continue this support."

Pests and diseases accidentally introduced to the UK from abroad are sweeping through the countryside. One of the main pathways for these introductions includes international trade of plants and trees, helped along by the warmer, wetter changing climate.

If millions of our trees are lost due to imported pests and diseases, it will have a huge knock-on impact on the native wildlife that relies on trees.

Buying trees that have been sourced and grown in the UK is one of the simplest and most effective ways of protecting all types of trees planted in the UK from new pests and diseases. When new pests and pathogens are imported, native trees may have no natural defences against them.

What’s more, the predators that keep the numbers of these pests down in their natural environment may not be present in woodlands here. This means pest and disease outbreaks can have a devastating impact on our trees and woods.

*Eschen, R., Kadzamria, M., Stutz, S., Ogunmodede, A., Djeddour, D., Shaw, R., Pratt, C., Varia, S., Constantine, K. and Williams, F. (2023) An updated assessment of the direct costs of invasive non-native species to the United Kingdom. Biological Invasions, 25, pp. 3265-3276.

**Coker, T.L.R., Rozsypalek, J., Edwards, A., Harwood, T.P., Butfoy, L. and Buggs, R.J.A. (2019) Estimating mortality rates of European ask (Fraxinus excelsior) under the ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) epidemic. Plants People Planet, 2019(1), pp. 48-58.

Notes to editors

For more details on this release, contact Andy Bond in the Woodland Trust press office on 07725480434.

About the Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK with more than 500,000 supporters.

With a vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, today the Trust owns and cares for more than 1,000 woodland sites, covering around 33,000 hectares.

The Woodland Trust has three key aims:

1. protecting the UK's rare, unique and irreplaceable ancient woodland
2. restoring damaged ancient woodland, nurturing precious pieces of our natural heritage back to life
3. establishing new native trees and woods to create healthy, resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.

Access to all Woodland Trust woods is free so everyone can experience the physical and mental benefits of trees.