Residents and visitors to the area may have noticed something strange is going on with the local beech tree population. Where lush, deep green serrated leaves should be present, Lakes Region residents are noticing stunted, shriveled, or even missing leaves throughout the local beech tree population.
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| A healthy doe is shown on the Raymond Cape, whose primary food source includes beech nuts. Also shown is a beech branch at a Raymond home exhibiting classic symptoms of what's known as Beech Leaf Disease. PHOTO COLLAGE BY NEILY RAYMOND |
The Maine Forest Service has published the following update about Beech Leaf disease (BLD). “A disease that has been leading to decline and mortality of beech trees from Ohio to Southern New England is now impacting Maine’s forests. Beech leaf disease (BLD) was confirmed in Lincolnville, ME (Waldo County) in May 2021 by forest pathologists from the Maine Forest Service and US Forest Service.
The BLD-infested trees were brought to the attention of the Maine Forest Service by the forest owners. Reports from the public continue to play a critical role in understanding the distribution of the disease. BLD is widespread and severe throughout many areas of Maine and is now found at various levels of severity in 15 of Maine’s 16 counties.
This distribution does not include every town in each county, so efforts continue to track and document disease distribution through survey and reports from the public. In cooperation with the US Forest Service, nine long-term monitoring plots have been established to learn more about disease development and impacts at the individual tree and stand levels in Maine’s forests.”
With all this concern, property owners are wondering what can be done to slow or stop the spread. Then Maine Forest Service fact sheet offers a few FAQs:
• BLD can kill American beech, European beech, and many other beech cultivars of various origins;
• BLD symptoms are associated with the presence of a non-native foliar nematode (microscopic roundworm), Litylenchus crenatae mccannii;
• Disease symptoms tend to begin in smaller beech trees in the understory, however larger trees are also vulnerable to attack and decline;
• BLD may weaken beech trees over time, making them more vulnerable to secondary pests.
Symptoms include:
• Dark bands between the veins of leaves;
• Leaves are cupped, deformed, shriveled and may be smaller than usual;
• Leaves can be thick and have a leathery texture, unlike the papery texture of healthy leaves;
• Premature leaf drop;
• Aborted buds leading to sparse leaf cover;
• Thinning canopy.
Property owners are left with many questions and a feeling of helplessness with the situation. As with many diseases, BLD will eventually run it’s course. In the mean time, small efforts can make a difference.
While there is no cure for BLD, homeowners can help control symptoms by pruning or removing diseased trees. The refuse should be kept on site, to avoid infecting other areas. It is suggested that infected plant material is burned or composted. Make sure to obtain a burn permit. Other options include chipping and firewood, which should all be used on site.
Smaller infected trees will likely not survive BLD. Mature trees will likely also not survive but will last for a longer duration. While BLD may not directly kill older trees, they can be weakened and susceptible to secondary diseases and pests.
Pamela Hargest is a Horticulture Professional with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Cumberland County.
“I recommend getting in touch with the Maine Forest Service as they are our go-to experts for tree diseases and pests that are impacting our forests,” she said. “They also have a lot of helpful information on their website about Beech Leaf Disease.”
Forest Pathologist Aaron Bergdahl is with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry Maine Forest Service, Forest Health & Monitoring. He says that the disease is pretty serious.
“Well, it’s certainly gaining genetic resistance. The outlook is not great for beech,” he said. Bergdahl said that the prognosis for smaller trees is 3-5 years and 5-7 for larger trees, with 10 years being the maximum survival time. Many trees may have pre-existing issues which can tip the scales toward decline. The concerning asked is that there are a lot of beech trees in our native forests. It will become more apparent we start to see decline.”
Bergdahl said that there seems to be no genetic resistance to the organism that causes beech leaf disease.
"I don’t want to give people any false hopes and lead them to not manage their high-value beech trees. Also, Beech Leaf Disease is found in all 16 of Maine’s counties,” said Bergdahl.
Aside from the impact on Maine’s visual landscape, the potential catastrophic loss of the beech tree population could affect mammals in the forests. Beech nuts are well-known for serving as a food source for deer and are also consumed by bears. Additionally, the trees can serve as valuable shelter in the woods for various mammals.
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife staff members are monitoring the situation and planning accordingly.
At the Region A headquarters in Gray, biologists are not overly concerned at this tenure and Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist Joshua Matijas is cautiously optimistic.
“It is a shame that we have yet another disease negatively affecting our native Beech trees. Unfortunately, Beech leaf disease (BLD) seems to be spreading fairly rapidly and at varying levels of severity,” he said. “Beech nuts are one of many food sources for deer when they are available, but they are produced on a very cyclic and sometimes irregular basis. Depending on a variety of factors a mature and healthy Beech tree might produce nuts every two to six years.”
Matijas reassured residents that the deer will likely come out unscathed. “Deer are browsers meaning they feed on a variety of leaves, buds, grasses, twigs, shrubs, as well as soft and hard mast. Beech nuts by themselves are not sustaining our deer population by any means and with the many other options available on the landscape I do not foresee impacts to our deer population,” said Matijas.
The Maine Forest Service website has provided the following information sheet: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/invasive_threats/beech_leaf_disease.htm
Homeowners can also take advantage of the Disease identification/management resource at: https://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/plant-disease/digital-diagnostic-submission-form/
The Maine Forest Service can be reached at: foresthealth@maine.gov or by phone at 207-287-2431. <
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