Black birch pest or disease??

I took a walk today near the reservoir we have here in town and it's basically a walk through the forest. What I noticed very clearly was that all the black birch trees were absolutely getting destroyed by something that was splitting the bark open and just eating the trees up.

Anyone know what caused this??????

 

Not sure what causes this but I’ve seen it on other black birches, just not as widespread as what you saw. Too bad bc I think they are a terrific tree.

 

I’ve seen it often in red maple too, and the tree sometimes makes a rough spiderweb looking canker around the infected area to wall it off.
https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/0201222-genetics-of-nectria-galligena-cause-of-nectria-canker.html

 

Thanks. I looked up pics of nectria canker and it sure looks like the same thing.

This site also lists birch as the primary target of the fungus. Yikes.

Target canker affects over 60 species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the landscape, but is most common and destructive on birch (Betula) in southern New England. Additional hosts include: alder (Alnus), apple/crabapple (Malus), ash (Fraxinus), aspen/poplar (Populus), basswood/linden (Tilia), cherry (Prunus), dogwood (Cornus), elm (Ulmus), filbert (Corylus), sweet gum (Liquidambar), hawthorn (Crataegus), hickory (Carya), holly (Ilex), hornbeam (Carpinus), hophornbeam (Ostrya), horsechestnut/buckeye (Aesculus), magnolia (Magnolia), maple (Acer), mulberry (Morus), oak (Quercus), pear (Pyrus), quince (Cydonia), redbud (Cercis), sassafras (Sassafras), serviceberry (Amelanchier), sourwood (Oxydendron), sumac (Rhus), tupelo (Nyssa), walnut (Juglans) and willow (Salix).

 

Relatively common sight on birch based on what ive seen. Maybe healing from a wound/scar "tissue"??? Usually where a tree snaps in high winds.
As Eric stated ive seen it on maples as well...silver, red and sugar.

 

Yeah I think I noticed it on a maple but it was very noticeable that all the birches had it. Sad.

 

I see it a lot. Black Birch usually doesn’t live that long around here. I remember a post on here with some big old BB but mostly they are one of the first trees to fill in a clearing, along with White Birch. Eventually they get crowded out by other species. JMO