Image copyrightPAImage captionThe chalara dieback has devastated ash trees across Europe
The ash tree is likely to be wiped out in Europe, according to the largest-ever survey of the species.
The trees are being killed off by the fungal disease ash-dieback along with an invasive beetle called the emerald ash borer.
According to the research, published in the Journal of Ecology, the British countryside will never look the same again.
The paper says that the ash will most likely be "eliminated" in Europe.
This could mirror the way Dutch elm disease largely wiped out the elm in the 1980s.
Ash trees are a key part of the treescape of Britain. You don't have to go to the countryside to see them. In and around towns and cities there are 2.2 million. In woodland, only the oak is more common.
However, according to a review led by Dr Peter Thomas of Keele University and published in the Journal of Ecology, "between the fungal disease ash dieback and a bright green beetle called the emerald ash borer, it is likely that almost all ash trees in Europe will be wiped out - just as the elm was largely eliminated by Dutch elm disease".
Ash dieback, also known as Chalara, is a disease that was first seen in Eastern Europe in 1992. It now affects more than 2 million sq km, from Scandinavia to Italy.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionThe loss of ash trees won't just change the landscape, it will have a severe impact on biodiversity
It was identified in England in 2012 in a consignment of imported infected trees. It has since spread from Norfolk and Suffolk to South Wales. Caused by the fungusHymenoscyphus fraxineus, it kills the leaves, then the branches, trunk and eventually the whole tree. It has the potential to destroy 95% of ash trees in the UK.
The emerald ash borer is a bright green beetle that, like ash dieback, is native to Asia. It's not yet in the UK but is spreading west from Moscow at a rate of 25 miles (41 km) a year and is thought to have reached Sweden.
The adult beetles feed on ash trees and cause little damage. However the larvae bore under the bark and in to the wood, killing the tree.
According to Dr Thomas: "Our European ash is very susceptible to the beetle. It is only a matter of time before it spreads across the rest of Europe - including Britain - and the beetle is set to become the biggest threat faced by ash in Europe, potentially far more serious than ash dieback."
Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryImage captionThe emerald ash borer also threatens ash trees
This won't just change our landscape - it will have a severe impact on biodiversity. 1,000 species are associated with ash or ash woodland, including 12 types of bird, 55 mammals and 239 invertebrates.
Mr Thomas said, "Of these, over 100 species of lichens, fungi and insects are dependent upon the ash tree and are likely to decline or become extinct if the ash was gone.
"Some other trees such as alder, small-leaved lime and rowan can provide homes for some of these species... but if the ash went, the British countryside would never look the same again."
One small hope is that some cloned ash trees have shown resistance against the fungus. But that won't protect them against the beetle.
Nicky Bay 是拍攝昆蟲的微距攝影家，住在新加坡專門拍攝熱帶雨林的小昆蟲，小小的昆蟲可以打造這麼美的家，看了就好喜歡。會讓人原諒他們破壞樹木的罪行。 其實，和人相比，他們對樹的傷害可是微乎奇微，看著他們精巧無比的房子，用吐的絲去綑綁、黏合木頭，用的木頭材料不多不少，剛剛好，如果隨便拿走一根，他們的家就要漏水了，用超環保的概念來蓋房子，每個家都是藝術品，看了就好著迷。 多留一些綠地，多種一些樹，不止賞心稅目，留意一下，還會發現大自然送的禮物，多麼紓壓。
Macro Photographs of Nature’s Tiniest Architects by Nicky Bayby Kate Sierzputowski on February 29, 2016
Nicky Bay (previously here and here) is the master of capturing the exceptionally small, photographing insects typically passed over without acknowledgement or recognition. The Singapore-based photographer stays acutely aware of these tiny creatures, using macro photography to highlight each minuscule detail. While taking a closer look at the micro world found deep in the rainforest, Bay began to notice tiny structures built by his favorite subject. The bug buildings appear manmade—tiny log cabins, gates, tents, and fortresses blocking each insect from the world just beyond their carefully placed twigs and segments of silk.
My favorite microscopic discovery of Bay’s was the Bagworm moth larva’s twisting stack of twigs it builds to protect itself as it grows inside. These stacked structures are almost perfect in their symmetry, each side built with twigs that are equal in length and width. Another favorite is the Arctiinae moth pupa’s cage produced from caterpillar hair and silk, a semi-protective fortress that appears almost like chicken wire.
Ray has collected several other examples of these tiny architects, including a web tower and silk-covered tent which you can see over on his macro photography blog. You can also follow his day-to-day macro photography on Facebook.
