How tree health is protected in Scotland

Healthy trees, forests and woodlands provide us with lots of ecological, social and economic benefits. 

Pests and diseases are an important and natural part of environmental cycles. 

However, lots of factors can worsen the impact of pests or diseases. For example:

• some trees may be genetically predisposed to infections
• damage to protective bark (caused by browsing or machinery) releases chemical signals that attract pests or diseases to the wound site, where infection is now easier
• environmental stress, such as drought or waterlogging, can increase risk of infection while weakening tree defences
• low species and genetic diversity helps pests or diseases adapt and overcome those defences 
  • this is a bit like using the same simple password for lots of different accounts - helping hackers to steal your information

These factors are well known to foresters, who use lots of different techniques to mitigate them in line with the UK Forestry Standard. 

These include:

• training staff and contractors
• managing deer
• matching tree species and genetic provenances to local site types 

The UK Forestry Standard (5th edition)

The way we live has increased opportunities for the introduction of new pests and diseases to Great Britain.

Consider the way we now purchase different types of goods online.  

This means we are transporting a greater volume and variety of commodities straight to the consumers door.  

It is much harder to check if these goods are from safe pest free places or to trace them if a pest or disease is found.

With that, the risk of new pests and diseases increases.

Our trees also can’t adapt their defences quickly enough. At the same time, they are more susceptible, being under increased environmental stress.

As a result, we are seeing more outbreaks of pests and diseases that are also more severe. Impacts include:

• higher tree mortality
• poorer timber quality
• more safety risks

We all have a role to play to stop, contain, or manage these impacts and keep our forests healthy.

Prevent pests and diseases

Plant health is fully devolved in the UK.

Scottish Ministers hold legal responsibility for plant health functions in Scotland. 

This responsibility is currently held by the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity.

Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Scottish Government website)

Protecting the long-term health of Scotland’s trees, woods and forests is of vital and increasing importance to the delivery of the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework outcomes. 

Delivering these priorities depends on:

• efficient and effective management of tree pests and diseases
• building long-term forest resilience to mitigate and adapt to climate change
• horizon scanning, risk assessment, and research of new potential threats

What happens when an outbreak occurs?

The Scottish Government contingency plan for plant health in Scotland details what happens when a significant outbreak occurs. 

Scottish Government contingency plan for Plant Health in Scotland (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture website)

How is research funded?

Two of the many ways research is funded include:

• The Plant Health Centre

Plant Health centre (external website)

The Plant Health Centre (Scotland’s virtual centre of expertise) connects science to application in policy, planning and responses to improve Scotland’s resilience to plant health threats.

• Forest Research Core research programme (Programme 7 on tree health and biosecurity)

Scottish Government also contribute to funding of the Forest Research Core research programme, including Programme 7 on tree health and biosecurity.

Programme 7 Tree health and biosecurity (Forest Research website)

We are responsible for the tree health policy functions held by Scottish Ministers.

Inspectorate functions for trees are shared between Scottish Forestry and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA):

• we are responsible for trees outside gardens or tree nurseries
• the SASA Horticultural and Marketing Unit is responsible for gardens and nurseries

Plant health (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture website)

Both functions are carried out as part of the Scottish Plant Health Service.

Some of these inspections form part of wider surveillance conducted in Great Britain as part of the UK Plant Health Service.

Ensuring that Scotland’s forests and woodlands are resilient to pest and disease threats is a key priority in Scottish Forestry’s 2019 – 2029 Strategy.

Scotland's Forestry Strategy 2019-2029

What is Scottish Forestry's approach?

We work together with Scotland’s Chief Plant Health Officer and the Scottish Government Plant Health Team to ensure:

• an integrated, cross-border approach to tree and plant health management

• delivery of relevant parts of the Scottish Plant Health Strategy, including contingency planning and innovation for pest and disease detection

  Scottish Plant Health Strategy (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture website)

• partnership working to address outcomes in the Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain, with:

  • the UK Plant Health Service
  • industry
  • the public

  Plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain - 2023 to 2028 (UK Government website) 

Our tree health team:

• carry out tree health surveillance and monitoring for novel and existing pests and diseases
  • much of which is mandated under UK legislation
• ensure appropriate primary and secondary legislation for tree health is in place at both UK and Scottish Government level
• represent Scottish Government as part of the UK Plant Health Service to assist with horizon scanning for potential new or increasing tree health threats 
• produce Scotland specific policy action and contingency plans for these threats 
• provide operational training and expert tree health advice to the forestry sector 
• commission research to: 
  • better understand and predict risks
  • develop detection, containment, and management strategies for tree pests and diseases

Read more about Scottish tree health legislation here [confirm link].

The following functions are delivered by the Forestry Commission England on behalf of Scottish Ministers:

• import inspections and export certification for forestry material
• regulation of forestry traders
• audit processes relating to timber plant passporting
• producing UK contingency plans for priority pests and diseases

Guidance and forms are available on the GOV.UK website for importing and exporting:

• timber
• wood products
• bark
• firewood

Importing and exporting wood and timber products (GOV.UK website)

Within Great Britain (including Scotland), you must register as a professional operator with Forestry Commission England to import, export or move certain types of:

• regulated wood
• wood products 
• bark

Register as a professional operator to trade in wood, issue plant passports and apply ISPM15 marking (GOV.UK website)

International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

The IPPC is an international treaty, with 185 signatories, under the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

IPPC strategic objectives include:

• enhancing global food security
• increasing sustainable agricultural production
• protecting forests and the environment
• facilitating safe trade and economic growth

International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC website)

European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO)

EPPO is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for international co-operation in plant protection in the European and Mediterranean region. 

It is currently made up of 52 member governments, including nearly every country of western and eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.  

EPPO aims to protect plant health in agriculture, forestry and the uncultivated environment.

European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO website)

National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO)

The UK National Plant Protection Organisation is comprised of the:

• Chief Plant Health Officers for each UK nation
• Forestry Commission England

The four UK nations work together as the UK Plant Health Service on legislation and policy. 

The UK Plant Health Service is made up of:

• Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Scottish Government (SASA and Scottish Forestry)
• the Northern Ireland Executive
• Forestry Commission England
• Welsh Government

Together we:

• assess new and emerging plant health threats
• agree mitigating measures for provisional quarantine and quarantine pests
• maintain the UK Plant Health Risk register
• coordinate outbreak preparedness activities
• consider options for prioritised and coordinated delivery of plant health research

The UK Plant Health Risk Register is publicly available and considers economic, environmental, and social impacts of tree health threats.  

UK Plant Health Risk Register (Defra website)