A fungus which is threatening to decimate the number of native UK ash trees has now spread as far as west Cornwall.
The news comes from the UK Forestry Commission which, on its website, has confirmed that the Chalara dieback of ash disease has been found outside Cambourne. It is the furthest west the disease has been found.
It is the third confirmed find of Chalara dieback of ash in Devon and Cornwall. The Forestry Commission describes all three cases as found on 'recently planted sites'.
In the middle of November, the Forestry Commission detected the disease in imported saplings recently planted in Devon. At the time, it was the furthest west the disease had been reported.
At the time David Rickwood, site manager for the Woodland Trust in Devon, said that the disease could be quite devastating for the countryside.
"We are talking in effect about landscape change. Devon is renowned for its hedgerows and the effect will be very visible – we will start to see holes and gaps appearing," he said.
Chalara dieback of ash is caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus which causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees, and usually leads to tree death.
The disease is a recent arrival in Britain, but has previously wreaked havoc in continental Europe. For example, it is estimated that the disease recently killed off between 60 and 90 per cent of Denmark's ash trees.
So far the Forestry Commission has confirmed finding Chalara dieback of ash on 17 Nursery sites, 119 Recently planted sites and 155 places in the wider environment, e.g. established woodland.
The news comes from the UK Forestry Commission which, on its website, has confirmed that the Chalara dieback of ash disease has been found outside Cambourne. It is the furthest west the disease has been found.
It is the third confirmed find of Chalara dieback of ash in Devon and Cornwall. The Forestry Commission describes all three cases as found on 'recently planted sites'.
In the middle of November, the Forestry Commission detected the disease in imported saplings recently planted in Devon. At the time, it was the furthest west the disease had been reported.
At the time David Rickwood, site manager for the Woodland Trust in Devon, said that the disease could be quite devastating for the countryside.
"We are talking in effect about landscape change. Devon is renowned for its hedgerows and the effect will be very visible – we will start to see holes and gaps appearing," he said.
Chalara dieback of ash is caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus which causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees, and usually leads to tree death.
The disease is a recent arrival in Britain, but has previously wreaked havoc in continental Europe. For example, it is estimated that the disease recently killed off between 60 and 90 per cent of Denmark's ash trees.
So far the Forestry Commission has confirmed finding Chalara dieback of ash on 17 Nursery sites, 119 Recently planted sites and 155 places in the wider environment, e.g. established woodland.