Author Topic: Chestnut (Castanea sativa) tree threatened in Poland (Read 1466 times)

SwampDonkey · « **on:** October 21, 2009, 03:11:23 am »

Just heard this morning on Polish Radio (CBC Overnight) that the European chestnut is now being threatened by a species of moth in Poland. I'm assuming it's the European chestnut, but often people use the term chestnut with horse-chestnut making things confusing. I'm pretty sure this isn't the horse-chestnut because they were talking about local beliefs that eating the chestnut helps with arthritis. The lady giving the piece on the radio said her pockets are now full of chestnut to defeat old age.

estiers · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2009, 08:23:10 am »

Did they say the name of the moth? Was it an exotic? Or a native gone wild?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2009, 03:44:06 pm »

That I did not catch, but I believe the species was not given and whether it was native or exotic was not elaborated on. Chances are the same news will be on again by Friday on Polish Radio. NPR often has international news from overseas radio services also.

tonich · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2009, 04:22:32 pm »

People seem to often confuse horse-chestnut with sweet (European) chestnut.

Though, I really doubt sweet (European) chestnut is natively spread in Poland.
It is much more Mediterranean related species, rather than native Polish one. In Bulgaria we have it in the very southern mountains, in the medium forest belt.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2009, 04:56:02 pm »

Yes, I've read it's from Turkey. Not native to Poland.

venice · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2009, 04:17:21 pm »

I am a bit late on that. They are talking about horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).

You can find quite a few throughout germany and poland. Where i grew up, every village has a bunch of them. If you are visiting your typical biergarten in germany you will most likely sitting under a (horse)chestnut. Very popular tree for creating an impressive avenue back in the days.

The moth is called Rosskastanienminiermotte

(Cameraria ohridella) the english name seems to be >horse chestnut leaf-miner< according to http://www.cameraria.de/.

taken from www.cameraria.de:

The horse chestnut leaf-miner (Cameraria ohridella) is a member of the lepidopteran family Gracillariidae and was recorded for the first time from Macedonia in 1985 attacking horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) near Lake Ohrid. This moth was described as a new species of the genus Cameraria by Deschka and Dimic (1986). Totally unexpected, C. ohridella appeared in Austria in 1989 in the region of Linz. From then on, it rapidly spread east and west so that, by 2000, it had colonised major parts of Central and Eastern Europe.

There are some sweet chestnut(Castanea sativa) to be found in northern europe, but they are not very common(never saw one in germany or poland).

The only thing both trees have in common is the name. Different species.

Best Venice

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2009, 05:10:47 pm »

Thanks for clearing up the confusion venice.

I never did hear anything on it again.

venice · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2009, 06:25:31 pm »

You're welcome. Finally i have something to contribute to...

Topics like that are quite popular among the press people when it comes to the global warming(invasive species). They pop up and disappear pretty quick again.

The problem has been around since the early 90's. Unfortunately the attention span among the press, wider public and politician on those topics is pretty short. You heard about COPENHAGEN?

Even though chestnut is a beautiful wood, it is not used on a commercial scale. Evidently nothing to worry about...

Best

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2009, 06:35:46 pm »

Quote from: venice on December 30, 2009, 06:25:31 pm

You're welcome. Finally i have something to contribute to...

Don't let that hold ya back. Lot's to talk about.

venice · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2010, 03:58:37 pm »

Man, this gallery is a PIA!

Swampy, turned this at the age of 16 or so for my grandma. Guess the wood. :-)

If you can't see the pic, check my gallery.

Best

http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=19130&pos=-79589

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2010, 04:47:14 pm »

Quote from: venice on January 04, 2010, 03:58:37 pm

Man, this gallery is a PIA!

No, it keeps our photos from going poof when an offsite storage place goes bye bye.

Go into your profile settings by clicking your user name

Click on "Forum Profile Information" , then in the box beside "My Photos" add the number 10,000 to your User number, which in your case is 9130, so enter 19130 in there so there is a direct link for all of us to your gallery from any post you make.

If you hover your mouse over your user name, the 9130 comes up on the end of a link you see in the browser on the status line at the bottom edge of the window.

Quote

Swampy, turned this at the age of 16 or so for my grandma. Guess the wood. :-)

If you can't see the pic, check my gallery.

Best

Code: [Select]
http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=19130&pos=-79589

Should be able to cut-n-paste the code under a picture once you click on it in your gallery. It will be in the "Forestry Forum Photo Insertion Code:" field below the picture.

Code: [Select]

[IMG] http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19130/DSCF5082-1.jpg [/IMG]

gives you your photo in the thread.

As to the wood species. Drum role please!

Looks like elm, I see the cross grain (ripple pattern of the pores). Not so much from this picture, but another you uploaded. I do see it some though in this because of the way you turned it, the end grain comes out in a couple quarter revolutions.

So, what sayeth you?

venice · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2010, 05:25:54 pm »

Thanks for the pic tutorial... got to read this a couple times.

venice

venice · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2010, 02:57:36 pm »

(Horse) Chestnut.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2010, 03:39:19 pm »

Interesting, looked like elm with the pore pattern. Not familiar with the wood because it's not of commercial significance in my area. Planted in the southern regions as an ornamental. A cousin planted one north of me, but it was not hardy enough.

venice · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2010, 04:19:25 pm »

Looks a bit like elm. But is not nearly as hard. I've never heard of commercial use either - salvaged some logs from the local dumpyard back then. The trees died and stood dead a couple years in an alley before they were taken down. Approx. 170 years old, 3' to 4' dia when they died.

venice

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