Bark necrosis of Acer pseudoplatanus L. in northern Britain

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AbstractSevere bark necrosis in large Acer pseudoplatanus was studied at a site in northern England. Bark death occurred late in the growing season or in the dormant season on two occasions and was preceded by a notably dry summer in both cases.Of several fungi isolated from cankers and areas of recent bark necrosis, Nectria coccinea and Diplodina acerina were demonstrated to be capable of causing limited necrotic extension of physical wounds in healthy A. pseudoplatanus. A third sp., Phomopsis pustulata, though the most frequently isolated fungus, showed no such ability.It is proposed that summer drought in association with a variety of weakly pathogenic fungi can induce local bark necrosis in A. pseudoplatanus.