Nature Notebook

Ash © Mark Hamblin

The Future of Ash

As the infamous ash dieback disease hits trees across the county, what is the future for this familiar woodland tree...

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Worcestershire Wildlife Trust @WorcsWT t worcestershirewildlifetrust G worcswildlifetrust.co.uk w Our forestry work this year has taken a different turn as our priority has become the removal of diseased ash trees in places where they pose a risk to the public. You’ll no doubt have heard about ash dieback that was first confirmed in the UK in 2012 and whose wind-borne fungal spores spread rapidly, arriving in Worcestershire in 2016.

The first symptoms of the disease are the blackening of leaves and this is especially noticeable in saplings that are growing at or near eye-level. In saplings, these shrivelled leaves are quickly followed by blackened strips on the main stem before the tree soon succumbs. The same happens with larger trees although they sometimes put on a growth spurt before the branches die-back and the whole tree eventually dies.

Sadly, infected trees can unexpectedly drop limbs or fall down so where we have infected trees near footpaths or along roads, we have started a programme of removing them. We don’t intend to remove all ash trees from our nature reserves as we are hoping to find disease-resistant individuals that can either self-seed new trees or whose seed we can use to propagate ash trees of the future.

At the moment we are removing trees where we have to and monitoring what happens across our woodlands. For now, we want to see what will happen naturally rather than taking the decision to plant potentially unsuitable alternatives that may even compound the negative impact of the loss of ash trees. We’re also creating habitats for wildlife, like log piles, with the felled timber.

As with any forestry work, the immediate aftermath can look drastic. Thankfully we’ve had a relatively dry autumn so the impact on the ground has been minimal but the scrubby understorey has been removed in some areas in order for contractors to access the diseased trees. There is a silver lining to this cloud - the extra light and space that is created by the work will not only be beneficial for spring flowers like bluebells and wood anemones but it will also help the trees that are left standing – our veteran oaks, limes and sweet chestnuts of the future. On top of that, as the areas re-vegetate with species like hazel, field maple and hawthorn there will be renewed nesting and feeding opportunities for birds and other wildlife.

It can be harder to spot ash dieback in the winter months but if you’re walking through one of our woodland nature reserves and come across a recently cleared area, make a note to return over the years to watch it regenerate as the seasons turn. You can help us to manage our woodlands for wildlife by buying one of our virtual gifts for a loved one this coming Christmas – take a look at our online shop for more information: www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/shop n

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18 Mosel Drive, Droitwich Spa, Worcester, WR9 8DB Tel: 07970 310 534 / 01905 827114 Email: mark@aaj-electrical.co.uk www.aaj-electrical.co.uk