Deadly disease hits ash trees

LAST week Nature Table (below) featured the ash tree but only days later the news broke that a deadly ash disease had been detected in Ireland.

It’s caused by a fungus called Chalara fraxinea and makes the leaves wither, starting at the crown and progressing downwards until the tree is killed. The first confirmed case in Ireland is in Co Leitrim.

It’s already widespread in Europe where it has been reported from 21 countries. It has killed 90% of the ash trees in Denmark and is spreading in Britain.