Rigidous ulmaris on Beech

[Gnarlyoak]

Couple of shots of a section from a Beech felled at the end of Jan, showing the extent of the decay radiating back from the fruiting bracket of Rigidous ulmarious. Same brackets, two shots showing top and bottom.

[treeseer]

Thank you for an excellent example of compartmentalization, and the folly of condemning trees based on conks alone. The extent of wall 4 growth indicates the tree has stopped the fungus in its tracks, and they are--were--coexisting amicably.

 

Never heard of Rigidous (sp?) before; ya learn sumthin new every day, if yer eyes are open!

[David Humphries]

Great shots

 

Never had the oportunity to see a cross section from Rigidoporus ulmarius.

Decay type doesn't tally from what I understand.

 

What makes you so sure of the I'd?

 

 

 

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[Stubby]

Thank you for an excellent example of compartmentalization, and the folly of condemning trees based on conks alone. The extent of wall 4 growth indicates the tree has stopped the fungus in its tracks, and they are--were--coexisting amicably.

 

Never heard of Rigidous (sp?) before; ya learn sumthin new every day, if yer eyes are open!

 

Hi treeseer . Are you saying that the hard line enclosing the spalting would have been the limit of the penetration . Not contesting you at all just wanting to understand .

[treeseer]

Stubby, I see the hard line enclosing the spalting was the limit of the penetration. What do you see?

[AlvinD]

And eventually the side walls would close over where the bracket exists to form a partially hollow trunk?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Ganoderma applanatum if you ask me, would also explain the effective compartmentalisation

[Scottie]

Let me ask this? I am also learning. It seems to me that there is over a third of the trunk is in decay, regardless of the compartmentlisation. If the tree had an resistograpgh done, would you have had it dismantled? Also could have the tree continued to live if the walls closed over?

 

On a side note, did you grind the stump out and ever think of taking pictures of the rot in the stump?

[AlvinD]

I'm thinking that the side walls would grow very thick eventually supporting the hollowness in the trunk?

 

Further viewing: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/ecology/51383-anyone-heartwood-explaination.html

Edited February 21, 2013 by AlvinD

[treeseer]

"there is over a third of the trunk is in decay, regardless of the compartmentlisation."

 

Well, a % is affected by fungus; not sure what "in decay" means

 

"If the tree had an resistograpgh done, would you have had it dismantled?"

 

well i'd prefer a tomograph, but either way, probably not. Depends on species, condition, and most importantly owner's objective. the amount of support lost to fungal activity seems well compensated for by wall 4. It's what's outside that counts the most, structurally speaking.

 

"Also could have the tree continued to live if the walls closed over?"

 

by the looks of the closure--vigorous--it surely seems so.

 

" And eventually the side walls would close over where the bracket exists to form a partially hollow trunk?"

 

maybe not hollow at all; if denied oxygen, fungal activity would cease, and the affected wood's degradation would stop at its present state of development.

 

i'm not an expert on these species but that's how it looks from here.