Doesn't look like river birch bark. Need to see the whole tree, foliage, and your location.

it looks telephone poled ... planted too deep ...

and its right near things it can fall on.. how far from the house .. and how big is the tree ...

this does not appear normal .... and based on this pic alone.. removal is an option ...

more pix.. so we can ID.. as well as see it in the landscape ...

ken

The tree is about 25ft away from house, close to the sidewalk/road and is maybe 30ft tall. Here is a picture if the tree and the leaves. I am located in Northern Virginia, Haymarket, VA.

Looks like Ulmus parvifolia, lacebark elm. It's suffering from bark split, which can have several causes. In spite of the amount of lost bark, the tree looks remarkably healthy. It's possible you have the variety called 'Drake', which is used in SoCal and the deep south and might have hardiness issues, just a guess though.

Never seen a Chinese elm shed quite like that, and not sure, but don't THINK it's a problem.

Drake has a VERY wide crown.

not a huge tree ... so time to watch to see what happens ...

perhaps its just a bark maturation thing ...

trees work in slow motion .. i would be curious to see how it responds next spring at leaf out ...

ken

Thank you for all your comments. After checking out the pictures of an lacebark elm, I would agree that is the kind of tree. I have never seen a tree that would be considered healthy to loose bark like that. I hope that it is not damaged and forms new bark soon. It will rebark itself for protection right? And look normal?

There are freaks out there. Google Metasequoia and Paperbark maple trunks for example.

Yours I am not familiar with.

It will rebark itself for protection right?

==>>> are you asking if its genetically capable of surviving without your interference ... lol .. one would hope so ...

e.g. bark of young maples is smooth ... maybe upwards of a decade ... but sooner or later.. and we always have to think in tree time ... the bark matures and changes ... it doesnt necessarily mean anything is wrong ... its not a great link.. but see the differences

https://www.google.com/search?q=bark+of+young+maples&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjciu_bzP_NAhXix4MKHe4KBgYQ_AUICCgB&biw=968&bih=745&dpr=0.9

i am still wondering about being planted like a telephone pole.. and wonder how deep the root flare is ... another link ...

https://www.google.com/search?q=bark+of+young+maples&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjciu_bzP_NAhXix4MKHe4KBgYQ_AUICCgB&biw=968&bih=745&dpr=0.9#tbm=isch&q=root+flare

sooo ... my bottom line ... its not some hundred foot tree hanging over your house.. so no immediate need to do anything proactive.. unless you are interested enough to pull back some of that soil and grass around the trunk and find out about that ... but again .. in tree time.. it may or may not be an issue... within a decade or so ...

ken