What has done this to this Ulmus laevis?

[RobArb]

This had a heavy reduction today but what has caused this?

[Matthew Arnold]

Tree rats (squirrels) and hollow leaves would be leaf miner bettles.

[RobArb]

i kinda guessed the leaf minor but wanted to be sure

[Fungus]

This had a heavy reduction today but what has caused this?

 

Rob,

The fungus on the tree, of which you're holding a specimen in your hand, is Daldinia concentrica (see the concentric silvery and black rings inside), a soft rot causing asco- or pyrenomycete, which mostly grows on Fraxinus.

[RobArb]

Hi Gerrit,

 

sorry, should of said i knew it was daldinia but surely this hasn't done the initial damage?

 

i did think squirrels like matt suggested but wasn't entirely sure, could it be something else?

[Fungus]

i did think squirrels but wasn't entirely sure, could it be something else?

 

For what purpose would squirrels damage a tree to such an extent ? Could it not have been a strike of lightning, which caused this ?

[RobArb]

its dominant on a few limbs separated by good wood and bark, doesn't seem quite right to be a lightning strike