Dr. Robert Marra: Beech Leaf Disease: What We Know and What We Don’t
Date: 05/18/2024
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Sponsored by the Norfolk Conservation Commission, Dr. Robert Marra of the CT Agricultural Experiment Station will give a presentation on beech leaf disease.
The American beech, Fagus grandifolia, is an important tree for wildlife, its nuts providing high quality nutrition for wild turkeys, woodpeckers, white-tailed deer and black bear, among others. Many bird species eat the buds. Since 2012 when beech leaf disease (BLD) was first identified in Ohio, the disease has spread to all of Connecticut and many other parts of New England. Caused by a nematode (probably a non-native species) that invades the leaf buds, the disease deforms the buds and the developing leaves. Many trees cannot survive long once infected, dying within a few years. While a handful of treatments have provided some hope for individual trees, the impact on our forests will be huge. Dr. Marra will provide an update of ongoing research into the biology of the disease and the future of our forests.
Please register for this program here.