Latest news with #ashtrees
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Shoots of hope for Britain's cherished ash trees
Ash trees are fighting back against a disease that has ravaged the British countryside, new scientific evidence shows. When ash dieback arrived in 2012, predictions suggested up to 85% of ash trees could be lost. But now scientists have discovered that ash woodlands are naturally evolving greater resistance to the infection. The discovery offers renewed hope that the much-loved trees will survive in the British landscape. "It is hope born out of the death of a lot of trees," said Prof Richard Buggs of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and Queen Mary University of London. But he said other interventions would be needed to give ash trees a helping hand, such as protecting trees from grazing deer and breeding the most resilient trees for future planting schemes. "We have fresh motivation to look after our ash populations, to protect them from other problems like deer browsing, and to let nature take its course and evolve trees with more resistance," he told BBC News. The Ash dieback fungus originated in Asia and was introduced to Europe about 30 years ago. The study of ash trees at a woodland in Surrey revealed subtle shifts over time in different genes, which should help new saplings fight back against it. The trees are evolving greater resistance to the disease than their predecessors - an example of Charles Darwin's natural selection theory in action. Richard Nichols, professor of evolutionary genetics at Queen Mary University of London, said a "tragedy for the trees has been a revelation for scientists: allowing us to show that thousands of genes are contributing to the ash trees' fightback against the fungus". Ash dieback demonstrates how devastating introduced pathogens can be for our trees and the species which rely upon them, said Rebecca Gosling of the Woodland Trust. "The findings highlight how vital it is to support natural regeneration in woodlands, furthering our understanding of how to best manage our ash woodlands," she said. Scientists had feared the ash would go the way of the elm, which has been almost wiped out by Dutch elm disease. The loss of the native tree would have a devastating effect on biodiversity as well as changing the face of the landscape. Since its arrival in Britain in 2012, ash dieback has spread to every corner of the British Isles, causing widespread damage to woodlands. Ash fungus genetic code unravelled Alarm call as world's trees slide towards extinction Ash tree set for extinction in Europe Signs of the disease can be seen through withered and blighted leaves. In many cases the fungal disease will eventually kill the tree. The research is published in the journal, Science.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Shoots of hope for Britain's cherished ash trees
Ash trees are fighting back against a disease that has ravaged the British countryside, new scientific evidence ash dieback arrived in 2012, predictions suggested up to 85% of ash trees could be now scientists have discovered that ash woodlands are naturally evolving greater resistance to the discovery offers renewed hope that the much-loved trees will survive in the British landscape. "It is hope born out of the death of a lot of trees," said Prof Richard Buggs of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and Queen Mary University of he said other interventions would be needed to give ash trees a helping hand, such as protecting trees from grazing deer and breeding the most resilient trees for future planting schemes."We have fresh motivation to look after our ash populations, to protect them from other problems like deer browsing, and to let nature take its course and evolve trees with more resistance," he told BBC Ash dieback fungus originated in Asia and was introduced to Europe about 30 years study of ash trees at a woodland in Surrey revealed subtle shifts over time in different genes, which should help new saplings fight back against trees are evolving greater resistance to the disease than their predecessors - an example of Charles Darwin's natural selection theory in Nichols, professor of evolutionary genetics at Queen Mary University of London, said a "tragedy for the trees has been a revelation for scientists: allowing us to show that thousands of genes are contributing to the ash trees' fightback against the fungus". Ash dieback demonstrates how devastating introduced pathogens can be for our trees and the species which rely upon them, said Rebecca Gosling of the Woodland Trust. "The findings highlight how vital it is to support natural regeneration in woodlands, furthering our understanding of how to best manage our ash woodlands," she had feared the ash would go the way of the elm, which has been almost wiped out by Dutch elm loss of the native tree would have a devastating effect on biodiversity as well as changing the face of the landscape. Since its arrival in Britain in 2012, ash dieback has spread to every corner of the British Isles, causing widespread damage to fungus genetic code unravelledAlarm call as world's trees slide towards extinctionAsh tree set for extinction in EuropeSigns of the disease can be seen through withered and blighted many cases the fungal disease will eventually kill the research is published in the journal, Science.
Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
New hope for ash trees ‘evolving resistance to deadly disease'
Ash trees are finally mounting a fightback against ash dieback disease, a study has found. The fungal infection has devastated UK ash populations since it arrived on British shores more than a decade ago, with experts warning it could wipe out the species. A study by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Queen Mary, University of London tracked how the disease was affecting an ancient woodland in Surrey. Ash dieback has ravaged the Marden Park wood since 2012 with the majority of trees being infected. Dieback causes blackened leaves, stunted growth and shrivelled roots. But a comparison of the health and genes of trees that matured before 2012 against recent saplings discovered evolution in action, which is making young trees more resilient. The modern plants had different variations of almost 8,000 genes, accrued by natural selection, which made them more robust, scientists found. A population's range of genes emerges naturally and randomly, but only those that are advantageous survive long enough to reproduce. Over several generations, genes that make an organism vulnerable die out, and advantageous genes and traits persist in the population. The new study found that this process weeded out almost a third of the newest ash trees, leaving the 69 per cent that were genetically better able to withstand ash dieback. The end result is that current juvenile ash trees in this woodland are better able to combat and less likely to die from the disease. Glimmer of hope against extinction This offers a glimmer of hope that the British native ash tree, known as Fraxinus excelsior, will not go extinct as some experts had feared. Ash dieback is caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus and arrived in Britain from Asia in 2012, prompting an emergency Cobra meeting. British ash trees are uniquely vulnerable to the disease, which does not harm other ash species, including those found on mainland Europe. The disease has since wreaked havoc across the British countryside, leaving behind skeletal remains of dying ash trees. Previous predictions estimated that up to 85 per cent of ash trees in the UK would succumb to the disease, with none displaying complete immunity. They say it also demonstrates this process works even when a certain trait, such as disease protection, is created by lots of different genes, and not just a single chunk of DNA. Dr Carey Metheringham, whose PhD research included the study, said: 'Thanks to natural selection, future generations of ash should have a better chance of withstanding infection.' But she also warned that while natural selection is showing signs of an ash fightback, it may not be enough on its own to overcome the dieback threat. Evolution may not be enough 'Natural selection alone may not be enough to produce fully resistant trees,' Ms Metheringham added. 'The existing genetic variation in the ash population may be too low, and as the trees become scarcer, the rate of selection could slow. ' Human intervention, such as selective breeding and the protection of young trees from deer grazing, may be required to accelerate evolutionary change.' Additional steps could be needed to prevent ash from facing the same extinction threat as the elm tree, which is being decimated by Dutch elm disease. The study was largely funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is also leading other work to try and help the ash tree. The new study is published in the journal Science.
CBC
19-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Winnipeg to start treating trees for emerald ash borer next week, city says
Winnipeg will start treating ash trees in certain areas for the emerald ash borer starting next week, the city said in a news release Thursday. Those treatments will happen Monday to Friday between 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. until August and will be weather dependent, the release said. Trees on city property are treated by injecting azadirachtin, also known by the brand name TreeAzin, directly into the tree. The product has been approved for use in Canada by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and its use in Winnipeg by licensed pesticide applicators will follow federally approved label directions, the release said. The treatments will target the following insect management areas, the city said: 25 — Beaumont, Crescent Park, Maybank, Wildwood. 30 — Central River Heights. 31 — Crescentwood, North River Heights, Wellington Crescent. 32 — Grant Park, Rockwood. 40 — Minto, St. Matthews. 41 — Wolseley. 42 — Daniel McIntyre, West Alexander. 46 — Dufferin, Logan CPR, Lord Selkirk Park.
