Fraxinus excelsior

Botanical Description

Fraxinus excelsior is a deciduous tree that in favoured sites can grow from 30 - 40 metres tall[ 11 Title Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Publication Author Bean. W. Publisher Murray Year 1981 ISBN - Description A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. A valuable timber, it is harvested on a commercial basis for its wood; the leaves are also harvested commercially and traded for use as herbal remedies[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].. The tree is much used in forestry and is also grown as an ornamtal. Fraxinus excelsior has a very large distribution through Europe and western Asia. Ash dieback is an infectious disease that has caused severe dieback of this tree throughout much of its range. This is the most serious threat to the species, with recorded incidence in 24 countries and a high risk of spread to areas where it has not yet been observed. The tree is considered to be seriously threatened in Hungary where there is a high incidence of infection, and is threatened or Near Threatened in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as in regions of Spain. Since Ash dieback disease is spread by wind, it is extremely difficult to reduce or prevent spread of the disease and the entire population is at risk of further disease outbreaks. The overall population decline has not been quantified and little data is available to precisely estimate future decline rates, but given the dramatic declines seen in some parts of the species range, a future decline of at least 20 - 30% across Europe is possible. The entire natural range including Russia and south-west Asia is currently threatened by ash dieback. This species is therefore classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].