After 130 maple trees in Anton-Saefkow-Park had to be cut down because they were infected with sooty bark disease, 50 trees in Erich-Weinert-Park are facing the same fate, according to a statement from the district office of Berlin-Pankow.
The corresponding areas in the park located on Prenzlauer Allee at the corner of Ostseestraße will be cordoned off on a large scale. The massive clear-cutting is not least necessary because sooty bark disease is also harmful to human health. The spores of the pathogen can lead to severe irritation of the respiratory tract and inflammation of the alveoli.
Young and old trees are equally affected
In mid-April, inspections by the Parks Office discovered that many trees – young and old specimens – were from the sooty bark disease were affected. This is triggered by a fungal pathogen and inevitably leads to the death of the affected tree.
In both cases, clearing began immediately because of the health hazard to the people. The statement from the district office goes on to say: “The sooty bark disease only becomes apparent when the outbreak of the disease has already progressed. At this point, the tree is already infested with the fungus on the inside.”
After felling, the trees must be disposed of separately immediately to prevent the spores from spreading further.
The district councilor for order and public space, Manuela Anders-Granitzki, emphasizes: “The development in Pankow and the drastic loss of trees really affects me. My heartfelt thanks go to all the employees of the Roads and Parks Department, who are very committed to this.”
