Ashes to ashes: the devastation of dieback
“The first indications all was not well in ash woodlands came in 2012”
Ash is one of those tree species that is much beloved by the nation – a national treasure. It has been nurtured for centuries by woodland owners and managers as a reliable timber crop. It is used extensively by furniture makers and craftsmen, praised by nature lovers for the extraordinary range of biodiversity it can sustain, and enjoyed by the public for its sheer aesthetic beauty and the grace it brings to any wooded landscape. However, the first indications that all was not well in our ash woodlands came in 2012 – just seven years ago. Ash dieback – a fungal pathogen initially known as ‘chalara’ but now recognised as – was reported on young trees imported into nursery stock from mainland Europe. That stock was quickly destroyed. But then came further discoveries and, although first reported in 2012, there is now strong evidence that ash dieback was present in the UK before
