ABSTRACT
There are various forms of disorders, pests and diseases affecting trees. Many can be overcome by the host tree and simply form part of an interdependent urban biodiversity, but some are proving to be quite serious. This chapter aims to raise awareness, among those responsible for the selection and management of trees, of some of the important tree pathogens and disorders. Botanic Gardens Conservation International responded by establishing the International Plant Sentinel Network, a global network of botanic gardens and arboreta using sentinel plants to provide early warning of new and emerging plant pests and diseases. In November 2012, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set up the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce, an independent expert panel consisting of academics with plant biosecurity experience, tasked with assessing the current threat to UK plant health from pests, pathogens and syndromes.
