Great oaks from foreign acorns grow, say scientists

THE British oak provided the timber for Nelson’s fleet and a hiding place for Charles II.

But native varieties of the tree may have to be replaced with tougher foreign alternatives, scientists have warned.

The two types of native British oak trees, the English oak and Cornish oak, are increasingly being ravaged by pests. These include the oak processionary moth, sudden oak death and bleeding canker.

On top of this, a warming climate is also posing problems for Britain’s 121million oak trees, many of which are losing their bark. Now a research project backed by six universities including Reading, York and Oxford as well as the James Hutton Institute and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, says British varieties may no longer be the best choice for planting.

Tougher alternatives such as

the American red oak and the Austrian oak should be considered instead, the group said, presenting their findings at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Professor Rob Jackson, biologist at Reading University, said: ‘The oak is a key component of woodland ecosystems in the UK and so its decline would have a much wider impact on other species, like fungi, insects and even humans.’

MORE than a million saplings are being given to schools and communities, the Woodland Trust has said. It is the first time the charity has sent out a million trees in one planting season.