Woods fighting back against devastating tree disease

STUDY FINDS RESISTANCE TO KILLER FUNGUS

- By EMILY BEAMENT PA Environment Correspondent

BRITISH woodlands appear to be evolving resistance to the invasive fungus causing the devastating tree disease ash dieback, scientists have said.

Researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Queen Mary University of London say they have discovered a new generation of young ash trees in the wild which are showing greater resistance to the fungus compared to older trees.

The findings from the study focused on Marden Park wood near Woldingham, a semi-natural ancient woodland dominated by ash, which is a species that produces a large number of seedlings from each adult.

It could mean ash does not go the same way as elms, which have been largely lost from the British landscape as a result of Dutch elm disease, the scientists said although breeding programmes may be needed to bolster the fightback.

Ash dieback, which was first seen in the UK in 2012, causes leaf loss and crown dieback and can lead to tree death, with fears it could wipe out up to 85% of Britain’s native ash trees, as they have not evolved natural defences against the fungus originally from Asia.