Plane trees in Greece facing extinction

A fatal metachromatic ulcer as it is scientifically called, is spreading rapidly, killing the evergreen trees of the mainland of Greece.

Plane trees in Greece, like the famous "Tree of Hippocrates" on the island of Kos, possibly a descendant of the original, will soon be extinct [Credit: WikiCommons]

The deadly fungus that is responsible for the unprecedented threat is called Ceratokystis, which massively destroys the leading deciduous tree. Scientists are alarmed, as the number of the dead trees is increasing throughout the Greek territory, while it is estimated that in case no action is taken the plane tree will disappear in a decade, as happened in other European countries.

The fungus Ceratocystis platani, which causes the disease, first identified in 2003 in Greece, Messinia affects thousands of trees and necrosis in the Peloponnese, while the disease was identified recently in Epirus.

The fungus Ceratokystis landed in Europe at the end of the Second World War. It was hidden in military allies’ boxes, which were made from diseased trees in the U.S.A. The lethal fungus, after killing the plane trees in Italy and France, came to Greece in 2003, possibly from contaminated wood, killing the trees of Pylos in Messinia. .

According to the Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Peloponnese, Epirus and Thessaly are facing the most acute problem. The main factor that causes the spread of this plane infection is human, as the fungus is transferred mainly by the woodcutters’ tools such as chainsaws, but also from the sawdust. It is transferred through the excavation machinery used in river sand mining, as well. This fungus is able to be transferred even through the air, from one tree to another.

The institute insists that if quarantine measures are not taken immediately, meaning that the diseased trees will not be isolated, then the metachromatic ulcer is going to kill the old trees of Macedonia, Fthiotida, Boeotia and Euboea. Experts say they have evidence that the disease has already reached in Florina and Kastoria, but it has not been identified, since the Forestry Services are not able to testify the infected trees due to lack of specialized staff.

Author: Christina Flora | Source: Greek Reporter [February 19, 2013]