Ash dieback in Flanders

The survival of the common ash in Flanders is threatened by the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Ash is, however, considered to be an important social tree species of different forest ecosystems. With this project, we want to investigate the possibilities of maintaining and restoring essential stocks in Flanders. We will systematically monitor the vitality of the ash and the spread and evolution of ash dieback in Flanders. We will investigated whether the degree of infection of the trees is influenced by their specific location. The genetic diversity and heredity of the resistance will be evaluated, based on international tests of origin. This way we hope to create a new seed garden with healthy ash, which produces healthy plants and can be included in the list of recommended origins.