Veteran tree tagging

[David Humphries]

During a survey of our sites veteran trees in 2007 we trialled the use of microchips as a means of identifying the trees without the need to have a metal tag showing.

 

Basicaly we used pet microchips that were inserted about three centimetres into the sapwood on the northern side of the trunks @ 1.5m height.

 

There were concerns that over time the microchips wouldn't be effective due to interference by birds (on the first trial a woodpecker had obviously detected the tiny hole and sensed the chips presence as one had been pecked out) and also by the expanding annual ring growth and by compressive forces.

 

We're currently resurveying the veteran trees and have been pleased to find that 10 years on the microchips are still emitting their signal so we can pick up their unique identification numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gary Prentice]

Neat, so the last tree in the last photo is called David?

 

Its a novel solution, 

[David Humphries]

9 minutes ago, Gary Prentice said:

......so the last tree in the last photo is called David?

 

They're all called David !

 

Well they are 'my' trees after all 

[Rough Hewn]

Nice trees, interesting idea.
What are the chips surrounded by?
How long would they last?

[David Humphries]

4 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Nice trees, interesting idea.
What are the chips surrounded by?
How long would they last?

 

The chips are plastic coated and designed with an operating life of over twenty years.

 

Will be interesting to see how many of the 900 are still operating.

 

 

[tree77]

I have seen mirco chips used before, but the scheme wasn't successful (not sure why).

What sort costs are you looking at for micro chipping?

[tree79]

He's a pic of what they look like.

 

[benedmonds]

I spent a summer in Bimini in the Bahamas tagging sharks with them, 20 years ago..  Apparently they will normally last the life of the shark and they are still doing it.

 

http://www.biminisharklab.com/Shark Research

[David Humphries]

10 hours ago, tree77 said:

I have seen mirco chips used before, but the scheme wasn't successful (not sure why).

What sort costs are you looking at for micro chipping?

Blimey it was 10 years ago, but I seem to recall that the chips were about £3.50 each and the scanner about £400. 

 

Considerably more than conventional metal tags, but may have the potential to last longer and not be seen.

 

 

 

[nepia]

Are there any of these at Ashtead David?  I'm thinking not; it's such fun wading through 4' of brambles to read a metal tag 10' up the back of a tree