The disease of metachromatic ulcer also destroyed the historic plane trees in the village of Kompotades where the meeting of the chieftains of 1821 took place before the battle of Alamana
From his devastating illness metachromatic ulcer they bend and sacrifice even immortals plane treesplane trees that had historical value as well as aesthetic forests along it Sperheiou River.
The phenomenon is now reaching epidemic proportions since even the control measures that have been taken are powerless to deal with it. Now, the metachromatic ulcer is spreading to other areas. Since 2020, restrictive measures have been taken in the sycamore forest in Kastri, Fthiotida, and indeed in a very large area. The Forestry Department of Sperchiada supervises the specific area as it is prohibited to fell trees, branching, as well as the execution of various works either with machines or manually. In fact, it is a sycamore forest of about 1,000 acres that has been quarantined.
But the disease did not stop there. The metachromatic ulcer progresses westward towards Western Fthiotida and also eastward towards the mouth of Sperchios.
“The messages we receive have given us a lot of trouble,” notes Andreas Papandreou, the Director of Forests of Fthiotida, to APE-MPE, recalling the prohibitions that apply to this area. But he states that “there are now enough insults outside the specific area and restrictive measures are constantly being taken. We are already waiting for the issuance of a relevant decision by the Ministry of the Environment for a comprehensive treatment of the disease not only in our region but in the whole of Greece”.
According to the forest officials who have engaged in a race to save the trees from the devastating disease “the situation is critical”. In the plane tree forest of Mexiaton west of Lamias, which is a monument of nature, it causes sadness to the visitor as the first specimens create the feeling that it will soon turn into a “cemetery of plane trees”. It risks changing the ecosystem along the Sperchios river.
It should be noted that in Fthiotida the disease has also appeared in the area of Atalanti, while the historical plane trees in the village of Kompotades were also sacrificed to the disease, where the meeting of the chieftains of 1821 took place before the battle of Alamana and which were characterized as “historical”.
As is known, the disease “metachromatic ulcer” is caused by the deadly fungus Ceratocystis platani that “harvests” plane trees. First he strips them and then he rots them. It appeared about 20 years ago and despite the measures taken to date, scientists cannot tame it. It is transmitted by the tools and machinery that come into contact with the sycamores and as they are moved for work in different areas, they also carry the fungus and at the same time it is also carried by the underground root system from tree to tree.
“Even in special cases where interventions need to be made, additional measures are taken and in fact, to this end, the Forestry Departments give a relevant permit, as it must be followed by thorough washing and disinfection with fungicides of all tools and machinery,” the forester Andreas underlines in APE – BPE Papandreou.
It is typical that the Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems a year and a half ago was in the area where it found the existence and extent of the disease along the Sperchios in Fthiotida. In fact, the scientists in their report noted that “despite the fact that the local authorities took measures, it is doubtful whether they will be able to prevent the expansion”. This specific report is also the first reason for taking the measures in the Kastri area.
The local authorities are concerned that the infestations have been found over a large area and their fears are related to illegal logging due to the winter. They try to find ways to control the situation. However, anti-flood works are in progress in the bed of the Sperchios river, either embankments or repairs to the damages suffered by the floods. According to the study, they should intervene in a distance of more than 30 kilometers with dense vegetation, mostly plane trees. At the moment they have frozen the permits as more than 50,000 tons of wood will have to be removed and they are trying to intervene pointwise to protect against the metachromatic ulcer. However, the risk of flooding remains for the plain of Sperchios.
RES-EMP
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, and my work has been featured on many different news websites. I am also an author, and my work has been published in several books. I specialize in opinion writing, and I often write about current events and controversial topics. I am a very well-rounded writer, and I have a lot of experience in different areas of journalism. I am a very hard worker, and I am always willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done.
