Acute Oak Decline

Symptoms include:

 

General thinning of the crown as leaves are lost. This can be quite sudden, occurring over a two-year period.

 

Cracks in the bark.

 

Dark fluid and extensive weeping patches that seeps through vertical cracks between pieces of bark and runs down the trunk or stem.

 

Stem bleeds that can stop and heal as the tree recovers from a stressed state.

 

As the tree becomes stressed, secondary pests and diseases begin to take advantage of the weakened tree.

 

Oak decline is caused by changes in environmental conditions. The evidence suggests that oak declines might become more frequent and severe as the climate changes. More frequent environmental changes like prolonged periods of drought or water-logging will make the problem much worse.

 

As it will probably not be possible to change the environment for the tree, we suggest planting oaks in the area making sure the next generation of trees is better adapted to our changing climate.