The Forestry Commission announced on Monday that the tree disease chalara had been found in woodland in Kent and Essex.

BBC: Ash dieback chalara cases confirmed in Essex

"It's quite galling for us to have to do all this because basically yet again the government has missed the boat on a serious outbreak of tree disease, " he said.

BBC: Essex

It doesn't seem to be affected all that much by climate, soil conditions, geographical location, growth rate, tree size or disease.

NPR: Excerpt: 'A Splintered History Of Wood'

The disease has caused widespread damage to ash tree populations in continental Europe and is particularly destructive to young plants.

BBC: Ash dieback: Government holds talk on potential threat

Mushrooms are an easy-to-spot sign of disease that may indicate root rot and a potentially unstable tree.

WSJ: Getting to the Roots of Your Trees' Stress

An Essex tree nursery owner who burned 100 ash trees as a precaution against a fungal disease says government action is "too little, too late".

BBC: Essex

The disease causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees, and it can lead to tree death.

BBC: Survey in forest

"It's very significant to find a new clone variety because the tree's gene pool is very restricted and that is a disadvantage if they are threatened by disease as these are, " she said.

BBC: Black poplar trees found in Denbighshire lay-by 'unique'

Fungi, such as tree lungwort, has been found to contain properties that could fight the human form of "mad cow disease".

BBC: Lichen in Wales could hold key to antibiotics resistance