Dieback disease is an invasive fungi effecting Ash trees and for the past 10 years has been spreading across continental Europe and has effected 90% of Ash trees in Denmark. The Ash is upon the most numerous in the UK , with some 80 million trees here now at risk. This tiny fungus (we are talking pin-size here) eventually strips off all the leaves from the tree which, along with fungal spores, blow in the wind and effect other trees. The infected and weakened trees eventually die from secondary diseases.
It is thought that the fungus arrived in the UK via imported Ash saplings. An import ban is now in place but blow-in infection from mainland Europe still poses a significant risk.
Forest pathologist; Iben Margrete Tomsen:
“We have not seen anything on this scale since Dutch elm disease…” , “this escalation is something we have not seen. The UK and Ireland may well be, within the next 10 years, the only remaining places in Europe with ash. If they act…”, “It may be a case of shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted. Time will tell.”
It is thought that up to 1% of Ash trees could possibly be immune to this fungus. In time these resistant Ash trees could repopulate Europe.
Here you can see the devastating effects of this disease in the Polish forest where it all began:
The devastated landscape of the Zabodny forest - Photo Adam Grabowski
What you can do to help
Step 1: Identify Ash dieback disease (Video: Woodland Trust / Diagram: BBC)
Step 2: Report it! (Here are the contact numbers for the UK with a link to download the AshTag app)
UK Fungi – Not all bad news
With all the bad press that fungi have been getting from Ash dieback disease the BBC has released these beautiful fungal images. Enjoy.