A third outbreak of ramorum, the serious tree disease affecting Japanese larch, has been found in Scotland.
The outbreak was discovered in private woodlands north of Newton Stewart after a recent aerial survey of the west of Scotland and is affecting 15-20ha.
Forestry officials say it is unclear how the disease arrived in the area.
“The spread of the disease is a serious concern to those in the forestry sector and we need to continue to monitor the situation very closely,” said a Forestry Commission Scotland spokesperson.
Precautionary measures will include restrictions on the planting of further larch in the area and controls on the movement of larch from sites that that may have been infected.
The disease was first identified in the UK in 2002 and began to affect Japanese larch in 2009. Large areas of affected trees have since been felled.
