A natural weapon to battle global warming has itself fallen prey to the very changing climate menace. Yes, the tree species — Corsican pines – once believed to be an effective weapon against global warming, is being threatened by a fatal disease, the red band needle blight!
The blight generally thrives in damp conditions as that of this summer, courtesy global warming, which is leading to less total rain and more summer downpours.
The immigrant — the Corsican also called black pine — grows to around 45 meters, is not just highly valued by the timber industry because of its characteristic straight trunk, but its hardy Mediterranean roots implant hopes among British planters, importantly, making it more resistant to hot weather compared to the local species.
Presently covering 34,000 hectares, the Corsican makes up one fifth of Britain plantations.
But, how can they escape the gruesome effects of climate change?
In East Anglia, 80 percent of a large number of the pines in densely planted forests are already infected.
But, now, leaving no option, to add to this devastation the Forestry Commission is thinning all its plantations – with 2 million Corsican pines already been destroyed — letting the forests to ‘dry out’, which eventually can help stop the blight’s spread.
To save the forest, the forests themselves are being destroyed along with banning further planting of Corsican for next five years.
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