|
If you ask many residents of Canada’s east coast about elm trees, the response would likely take one of two forms: nostalgia or complacence.
Nostalgia because many of the elm trees that were once omnipresent in towns and cities throughout the provinces of Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick have succumbed to Dutch elm disease since
the 1960’s and 1970’s. Complacence because many people may believe that the remaining elms are safe from the disease.
Although media coverage has focussed on the west where communities are preparing for the first wave of disease, Dutch elm disease remains a major threat to elm trees in the east. Towns
such as Truro, Nova Scotia are reporting dieback in record numbers. Between 1982 and 1998, 439 elms were removed. In 1999 alone, over 300 trees were diagnosed with the disease. This represents a drastic
increase from previous years. Other communities throughout the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia have reported similar figures.
A number of possible reasons for this increase have been proposed. Many regions experienced drought conditions during the summers of 1997-1999.This weakens trees and leaves them less
capable of fighting off infection. Winters during this same period have also been milder than usual allowing more elm bark beetles (the insect that transmits Dutch elm disease) to survive until the spring.
As a result of the increased incidence of Dutch elm disease, the Truro Tree Committee has stepped up its management program including tree removals and sanitation of infected trees. A
proposal has also been accepted to commission a series of sculptures to be created from diseased elms.
Some Maritimes communities, such as Fredericton, N.B., have been very successful at maintaining their canopies of majestic elms. With comprehensive Dutch elm disease management programs
supported by citizens and council alike, the 'City of Stately Elms' has managed to preserve 60-70% of its elm population. Some trees are over 190 years old.
The message? Residents of the Maritimes would be unwise to write off Dutch elm disease as a disease of the past or of the West. It is alive and well on the East coast.
|
