‘A tragedy for trees’: ash dieback ravages UK’s fragile woodlands

Only 5% of species now expected to survive as disease hits harder than first thought and prevention costs mount

Warburg Nature Reserve is one of the gems of the Chiltern Hills. In the autumn, its beech, birch and oak trees are transformed into a blazing canopy of red, yellow, brown and golden leaves. Buzzards and red kites swoop overhead while a startling array of fungi - from milkcaps to collared earthstars - push up through the woodland floor of the 100-hectare site.

This curtain of multicoloured delights hides a grim secret, however. A stroll through the reserve, which is owned by the Wildlife Trusts, reveals gaps that have recently appeared in the foliage.