This afternoon I took my dog Maggy for a walk in King's Wood, Heath and Reach, Bedfordshire. It's an ancient woodland with both clay and sandy areas. These photos were taken in the sandy part which supports a mix of birch and sessil oak with bracken and heather for ground cover. Sadly many of the birch have succumbed to the birch polypore fungus Piptoporus betulinus which grows inside the host tree eventually killing it.
There are fallen trees everywhere with fruiting bodies growing from the dead trunks. Many of the trees that are still alive show evidence of infection. In fairness I should record that this woodland is extremely well managed so I guess this naturally selective culling of birch is being tolerated.
Bruce
