Trees in terrible condition everywhere - advice and opinions needed

[Quercus Robert]

Yes, I agree it looks like squirrel damage. My only hesitancy here is that I see it on so many trees.

[Quercus Robert]

Egregious but not uncommon examples seen today.

[Quercus Robert]

I have also noticed next summer's figs are ripening; obviously these should remain on the tree over winter then grow and begin ripening in about July, but here they appear to be reddening and becoming soft.

[Jim B]

Top photos look like firewood damage a long time ago. Queen wasps have made a second nest and started again rather than hibernate due to this warm weather, perhaps same on the figs.

[treequip]

My only hesitancy here is that I see it on so many trees.

 

Have you seen how many squirrels there are???

 

What's the surprise?

[Quercus Robert]

I've seen SOME squirrels. But certainly, in the forest of Bere, just for example, this same bark damage is all around (on sweet chestnut), and I've seen seen no squirrels. I'm not saying there isn't an army of squirrels out there; I did not realise they were so destructive.

 

Jim, I did pretty much assume the warm weather was responsible for immature figs ripening. Oh! That reminds me:

 

Investigating the warm weather - the unseasonably HOT weather, I should say - I came across the Arctic Methane Emergency Group.

 

Arctic Methane Emergency Group - AMEG - Arctic Sea Ice - Methane Release - Planetary Emergency

 

These scientists are VERY worried about the release of methane hydrates from thawing Siberian permafrost. There's an estimated 10,000 gigatons there, 60 of which are enough to propel the planet into a Permian-style mass extinction. They also estimate a complete summer icecap melt either about now or next September.

 

So that's quite exciting.