The effects of Phytophthora ramorum
management on plant biodiversity in
Keele Springpool Wood
Abstract
In response to an outbreak in 2013 of Phytophthora ramorum (P.
ramorum) all 1600 Japanese larch trees (Larix kaempferi) and the
non-native invasive Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum)
present in Springpool Wood were felled to eliminate possible P.
ramorum hosts. P. ramorum, related to the Irish Potato Blight, is
deadly to oak, beech and larch trees.
The ecological impact of removing 20% of Springpool Wood’s tree
population in the form of Japanese larch alongside rhododendron
has not been studied. Without maintenance informed by
investigation, the woodland could suffer from slow ecological
degradation and undesired change. The detriment to woodland
biodiversity (variation in species) was evaluated by comparing the
richness of ground flora species in the affected areas.
Article #10
The effects of
Phytophthora ramorum
management on plant
biodiversity in Keele
Springpool Wood
Author: Samuel X.
Marks
Keywords:
Phytophthora,
larch, biodiversity,
rhododendron
The study area was a 22-hectare temperate mixed broadleaf and
conifer woodland in Staffordshire that experienced disturbance
from P. ramorum management in 2015, with various regions
experiencing different degrees of rhododendron and Japanese larch
removal. Previous research has failed to measure its impact on flora
diversity and woodland regeneration. Shannon indices of ground
flora species diversity were taken from 4 m2 quadrates to compare
the effects of tree felling and uprooting on ground flora vegetation
and woodland regeneration.
The implications of this study apply to the management of
increasingly numerous exotic plant disease infections, as well as
improving the health and maintenance of UK woodlands with
informed research.
Background
Biodiversity
Biodiversity at the ecosystem level is a measure of the variety of
species present within a habitat. It is indicative of an ecosystem’s
capacity to adapt to ecological changes (Prober et al., 2017). The
improvement of biodiversity was one of the key methods the UK
Biodiversity Action Plan used to spearhead woodland conservation
Article #10
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