Some of the century-old pines on Cerro Gordo are rapidly dying owing to a tree disease known as Seca del Pino or Pine Wilt Nematode (PWN) in English.

Councillor for Agriculture, Carlos Ferrón, who is also an agricultural engineer or agronomist at the Town Hall, explained that the parasite that causes this is a nematode, which is a kind of roundworm or eelworm called the Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. 

It attacks the vascular system within the pine, preventing it from absorbing water and nutrients, which will eventually kill it. 

But this is only one of the ‘attackers’ because there is a small beetle called the sawyer beetle (Monochamus) which transports it from tree to tree. Aleppo pines (Carrascos) are particularly susceptible as they have weak defences in general.

The disappearance of these trees will have a significant impact on the ecosystem of La Herradura, affecting cabra montés, squirrels, cameleons and other wildlife dependent upon woodlands.

In some ways, this problem is worse than a forest fire, which despite the loss, a fire regenerates woodlands, whereas this disease will desolate the area for ever.

The Junta de Andalucia instructed the Town Hall in December to cut the diseased trees down as the affected area lies within the municipality of Almuñécar and the Town Hall has responded that it will not only eliminate the diseased trees within the municipality in the  protected natural park but also said that  it’s willing to collaborate in reforrestation tasks.

(News: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Seca de Pino, Parasite, Worm, Cerro Gordo, Pine Wilt Nematode, Bursaphelenchus Xylophilus, Beetle, Sawyer Beetles Monochamus

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