Saving the ash

You report (23 April) that a study from the University of Edinburgh estimates that some 90 per cent of Britain’s ash trees will become infected with the ash dieback fungus, chalara, with huge consequences for wildlife and landscape and woodland carbon sequestration as they die.

Moreover, it is known that young trees are particularly ­vulnerable to this disease, so the long-term loss is likely to be even higher as seedlings fail to replace survivors dying of old age.

At present, the genetic
diversity of Britain’s ash trees is still largely intact and will be ­expressed this autumn in the seeds those trees produce.

If we wish to have any chance of conserving that diversity it is imperative that a programme of seed collection to cold storage be initiated without delay.

This would enable a good range of ash trees to be planted if at some point in the future we discover how to inoculate young trees against the chalara fungus.

With this measure, we may be able to restore ash diversity at some point in the future. Without it, we will have no chance.

Roy Turnbull

Nethy Bridge

Inverness-shire