Timber iQ June/July 2021 | Page 31

PERSONALITY PROFILE the future . There is thus still uncertainty of how all that balances out , but it certainly is a threat that we need to keep an eye on , and we need to try and understand as best we can so that we can prepare to respond .
How serious is the threat of pests and diseases ? A definite trend over the past two or more decades is a consistent and almost exponential rise in the number of introduced invasive pests and diseases that are moving around the world . Eucalyptus and Pinus trees are spread widely across the world which acts like a broad net that catches pests and diseases and helps them spread beyond their natural distribution .
The moment a pest , for example from Australia , finds a home in a new country , it is very predictable that other regions around the world will deal with it in the coming years . Once a pest has escaped its native area of distribution and finds a home in a new country , typically the factors that control its population is also unhinged and those populations can increase rapidly , which increases it chances of moving to the next area .
PHOTO BY BRANDON MONTRONE FROM PEXELS
Green Pine trees
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