Survival technique?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I'll post a vid from laptop tomorrow, for some reason (probably me being a dullard) I can't do it from iPhone.

 

Mature Monterey pine shed a large lower limb into a field yesterday, I went to assess this evening (23hrs after failure), whilst close by having a conversation with landowner there were loud cracking noises which were so noticeable as to make me thing the limb was moving. It wasn't, it was the noise of the cones on the broken limb splitting open. It was a bright sunny day and the remainder of the (upright) tree was exposed to equal sunlight. So why were the pine cones on the broken limb literally exploding open whereas the remainder were latent? Is this a survival technique? Was the impact of the fall a trigger to cause the cones to open and reproduce? Has anyone else seen/experienced this? If anyone is interested I'll post the vid! It's difficult to express the starkness of the contrast between the cones on the upright tree and those on the broken limb. One set literally exploding in front of my eyes, the other doing noting.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

seperated from the vascular system the limb used all its water rapidly in the heat, simples.

 

It would have drained EVERY drop from every cell in doing so, trying to maintain function

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

seperated from the vascular system the limb used all its water rapidly in the heat, simples.

 

It would have drained EVERY drop from every cell in doing so, trying to maintain function

 

 

That makes absolute sense! Thank you. It wasn't totally severed, but your logic still applies.

 

(PS, I also like your "rock the system" themed posts in other threads)

[tree_beard]

During the hottest day of last summer I experienced a hillside of a dozen mature radiata "going off" sounded like a distant firework display. Really cool to see

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

During the hottest day of last summer I experienced a hillside of a dozen mature radiata "going off" sounded like a distant firework display. Really cool to see

 

 

Yup, I can imagine that was an experience!

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

seperated from the vascular system the limb used all its water rapidly in the heat, simples.

 

It would have drained EVERY drop from every cell in doing so, trying to maintain function

 

 

Pondered this since last night and checked a basket of cones I picked from the ground last Nov from same group of trees. Whilst some in the basket are partially opened, some fully open and some remain closed (approx ⅓ each) it seemed all the cones on the fallen limb were wide open (or progressing rapidly towards that state). So if it is solely the removal of vascular function I would expect the fallen cones to have opened in the same fashion. It's just an observation that I wanted to share to see if any of the learned tree biologists had a view.

[Daniël Bos]

Pondered this since last night and checked a basket of cones I picked from the ground last Nov from same group of trees. Whilst some in the basket are partially opened, some fully open and some remain closed (approx ⅓ each) it seemed all the cones on the fallen limb were wide open (or progressing rapidly towards that state). So if it is solely the removal of vascular function I would expect the fallen cones to have opened in the same fashion. It's just an observation that I wanted to share to see if any of the learned tree biologists had a view.

 

The ones still attached to the branch would have been connected to the rest of the tree's vascular system and therefore dried out with it (ie completely and quickly). Fallen ones are sealed off so dry much slower?

 

Just my guess mind, not learned or a biologist or nuffink.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

The ones still attached to the branch would have been connected to the rest of the tree's vascular system and therefore dried out with it (ie completely and quickly). Fallen ones are sealed off so dry much slower?

 

 

 

Just my guess mind, not learned or a biologist or nuffink.

 

 

Liking that logic! Makes sense...

[tree_beard]

The same trees I mentioned last night are today crackling away like a bowl of rice crispies... so I think it is currently prime radiata cone ripening weather in north cornwall

[Eddy_t]

The ones still attached to the branch would have been connected to the rest of the tree's vascular system and therefore dried out with it (ie completely and quickly). Fallen ones are sealed off so dry much slower?

 

 

 

Just my guess mind, not learned or a biologist or nuffink.

 

 

No, because the limb was still attached, the vascular system would have still been feeding from the roots, unless the tree has drained the moisture from unnecessary places to aid in the secretion of resin to seal the wound

 

 

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