Can Ireland’s ash trees stage a comeback against deadly dieback?
Ash dieback. Ash trees damaged by the fungal disease Hymenoscyphus fraxineus
For more than a decade, Ireland’s ash trees have been quietly dying. Victims of a deadly fungal disease known as ash dieback, they have withered in woodlands, fallen from hedgerows, and left gaps in a landscape where they once stood proud and plentiful. Since its arrival in 2012, ash dieback has spread relentlessly across the island, and with it has come growing concern for biodiversity, forestry, and even national identity.
Yet, amid the losses, a new hope is sprouting. Science shows our ash trees may be fighting back.
