§ Mr. Allan Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many acres or hectares of trees are affected by the new form of damage reported in the Government reply to the "Report on Acid Rain" from the Environment Committee, Cmnd. 9397, to have recently been observed in north and west Britain; which species are affected, and in what proportions: and when this new form of damage was (a) first detected and by whom, (b) first publicly recorded and (c) first known to the Government.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 14 December 1984, c. 658]: It is difficult to assess accurately the area affected by the new form of damage to trees which is referred to in the Government reply to the Environment Committee report. Significant damage has been observed in a few older plantations at high elevations in forests along the western seaboard of Britain from Cumbria to Sutherland; it affects only a very small percentage of those forests. The species affectd are Scots pine, Lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, Douglas fir and Grand fir. The relative incidence appears to be similar for all species. Damage to Scots pine, Lodgepole pine, Douglas fir and Grand fir was first reported by Forestry Commission staff in Scotland and first known to the Forestry Commission in the period April-June 1984. Apparently similar damage to Sitka spruce was reported from Cumbria by the Friends of the Earth (Scotland) on 12 June 1984; this was the first public record of damage.
§ Mr. Allan Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any evidence of tree damage associated with air pollution in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 14 December 1984, c. 658]: While there are clearly effects on trees adjacent to major sources of pollution, there is no present evidence of pervasive damage to trees in Britain in recent years that can be ascribed to air pollution; the Forestry Commission maintains a close watch on the situation.
§ Mr. Allan Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment in what ways the new form of damage to 270W trees reported in the reply to the Environment Committee "Report on Acid Rain" (Cmnd. 9397) as occurring in north and west Britain resembles that associated with air pollution in Germany; and whether the damage can be explained by the action of pathogenes, fungi, bacteria, stress, drought, climate or other causes not associated with (a) acid deposition and (b) other pollution.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 14 December 1984, c. 658]: The damage to spruce in Britain resembles that observed in Germany so far as the distribution of damaged shoots in the crowns of affected trees is concerned, but differs crucially in its occurrence at one time rather than over a number of years and in the absence of needle yellowing. The available evidence suggests that unusual climatic factors in the winter of 1983–84 were involved, but the Forestry Commission is still studying this phenomenon and it is too early to say whether the damage was caused by this or some other factor, or combination of factors.