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Ash trees in Britain evolving resistance to fungal disease that was devastating woodlands
- Ash dieback, a fungal disease caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus native to Asia, arrived in Britain in 2012 and devastated millions of ash trees across the countryside.
- Its arrival triggered emergency responses and raised fears the ash would go extinct like the elm due to aggressive disease spread and prior predictions of up to 85% tree loss.
- A detailed genetic study at Marden Park in Surrey found thousands of gene variants linked to resistance are now more common in younger ash trees, showing natural selection in action.
- Professor Richard Buggs expressed relief that ash trees are unlikely to suffer the same fate as elm trees in Britain, and Rebecca Gosling described the research as a positive sign for the future health of ash populations.
- The findings suggest protecting ash from threats like deer browsing and combining breeding programs with natural regeneration could help secure the species' future despite ongoing challenges.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Ash trees in Britain are evolving a resistance to fungal disease that was devastating woodlands
To use what will become a timeless adage, one of the most amazing things about life is how it, uh, finds a way—as seen lately in England where ash trees are spontaneously developing resistance to a deadly disease. Natural selection in woodlands is acting to combat the disease ash dieback—caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus […] The post Ash Trees in Britain Are Evolving a Resistance to Fungal Disease That was Devastating Woodlands appear…
Good news for hurley makers as ash trees evolving resistance to dieback, new study reveals
Previous studies found apparent resistance in some ash saplings, but the new study gives in-depth genetic information that could help breeding programmes to support the natural recovery of ash trees
British ash woodland is evolving resistance to ash dieback, researchers discover
Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Queen Mary University of London have discovered that a new generation of ash trees, growing naturally in woodland, exhibit greater resistance to the disease compared to older trees. They find that natural selection is acting upon thousands of locations within the ash tree DNA, driving the evolution of resistance.
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