Lengths of trunk of an Ash tree, Fraxinus excelsior showing secondary fungal infection that has entered tree via lesions caused by Ash Dieback.
Dark marks of fungal infection in heart wood of 50 year old European Ash Tree, Fraxinus excelsior. The spores of ‘Chalara’ Ash dieback, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, usualy infects the leaves and young growth of Ash trees. In mature trees the tree will throw out new growth from below the infection, but the lesions in the bark allow secondary infections of other fungi such as brown or black rot to enter the heart wood and spread downwards through the main branches and trunk of the tree. The heart wood becomes dry and brittle, and will lose its strenght to support the tree. As the infection continues the tree will firstly drop or lose branches, and finally become susceptable to wind blow, making it a danger to buildings and humans. This tree showed no signs of infection from Honey Fungus. The rot in the 2 lowest & thickest parts of the trunk (centre and 2nd from top right) was very black and occured where there were still remnants of barbed wire and sheep fencing that was stapled to the bark of the tree when it was about 20 years old. As the fence was tight and could not move/expand the tree grew around the metal, eventually encasing it in the heart wood. In these two sections you can just see the silver shine of fresh metal where the chain saw cut through the metal - luckily only blunting the blade not causing it to break.
Size: 6048px × 4032px
Location: Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales, UK
Photo credit: © Jean Williamson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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