Mountain Ash - damage or disease

[Will Marsh]

I have recently started renovating some predominantly oak woodland in East Sussex.  However, all the Mountain Ash is the wood is in dreadful shape and or dead and dying.  Can anyone tell me if this is disease or animal damage? Apologies if this is obvious but I'm new to this.

[Paul in the woods]

I don't know what it is, it has a look of a cross between mechanical damage and ash die back.

 

I get lots of squirrel damage in my woodlands and it doesn't look like that, and the tree rats don't seem to go for them. If it goes above 1.5m or so then It's not deer damage. 

 

Are the leaves damaged at all? It might just be a reaction to the very dry and very wet weather?

 

This thread might he worth a read: 

 

[Will Marsh]

Thank you Paul,

 

Your note was helpful.   I cut one down this weekend and the trunk had black rings in it.   I can only draw the conclusion that it's a fungus or disease and it effects every Mountain Ash I've got.  The leaves looked ok where present but becoming more and more sparse as the tree succumbs.  I have to say it seems strikingly similar to dieback.

 

When I took over the wood in 2020 it was crawling with Squirrels.   Since, I have made every effort to reduce their numbers.  The damage could have been started with them 

[Stere]

Fireblight maybe?

 

https://www.trees.org.uk/Trees.org.uk/files/36/36a5ed0b-afed-4709-92cc-21b604121130.pdf

 

Ive noticed loads of cotoneaster seeem to have died also this yr.

 

I reckon is could be be due to the wet weather both winters and summer and milder winters...

[Will Marsh]

Could be.   I'm resigned to dropping the lot.  Gutted - I like Mountain ash.