[Ecological Conservation] COA Decides to Cut Away Sick Barrel Trees to Stop Epidemic Proliferation

[Ecological Conservation] COA Decides to Cut Away Sick Barrel Trees to Stop Epidemic Proliferation (Chinese Version)

The Liberty Times (2011/04/13) A large scale epidemic proliferation among the CITES Appendices II enlisted valuable tree Taiwan Barrel Tree (Sphaeropteris lepifera) in North Taiwan was observed in recent years. By now the relevant forestry administrations of the Council of Agriculture (COA) have not found the exact cause of the epidemics, but they have decided to cut down the sick trees. A worry appears in the public in response to the decision of COA that by removing all the sick trees COA may intend to “destroy the evidence”. Officials of the relevant administrations respond, COA decides to cut the sick trees in order to build an epidemic firewall, inhibiting the proliferation.

The cause of the barrel tree epidemics was considered as fungi, according to Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, COA. However, with the collected clues contributed by many forestry volunteers, the suspect cause has been turned to weevils.

The institute says, the barrel tree epidemics is very complicated; before the exact cause is determined, it is not wise to try to adopt chemical dosing. It is for the sake of reducing the public worry about the epidemics and to stop the proliferation, COA decides to remove and destroy the sick plants.

Forestry Bureau plans to open bids recruiting contracted companies to remove the sick plants on the state lands. As for the private lands, the making of the relevant measures and policies is still needed.

Professor Ting-Hsuan HUNG at Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, National Taiwan University, thinks we may imagine the situation as the influenza epidemics; in order to control the proliferation, the doctors and administrations need to release and treat the patients' condition before exact diagnosis of the cause so that the proliferation may be stopped or inhibited as soon as possible. He thinks, with the ecological concern, it is necessary to remove the plants, and the measure should not only be carried out in the serious areas, or, otherwise, the less serious areas, Central and South Taiwan, will become serious after the treatment in North Taiwan.

Research Fellow at Taiwan Forestry Research Institute Yao-Moan HUANG says, the people are advised to cut the sick barrel trees at the point one meter below the stem top when people find sick plants in their own lands. The affected part is commonly the upper part of the stem. Besides, the removed affected part should be burned or sterilized.


Related Historical Messages:
[Ecological Conservation] Conservation Plan Inaugurated for Endangered Taiwan Sphaeropteris Lepifera 2011/01/26
[Ecological Conservation] Taiwan Sphaeropteris Lepifera Faces Catastrophe 2009/05/21


Reference:
The Liberty Times 2011/04/13

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