Arb-Mycota what do you want from books?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Best idea I've seen in a long time Hama. Put me down for a copy in whatever format you come up with. Maybe you could get a thread stickied when you start, where we could give you a hand collecting photos of different fungi, cross sections of decay etc. or anything else you may be having trouble locating. Save some of the legwork, and help it along.

 

Have looked for a book like this numerous times in the past without any luck.

 

its all on the way my man, a work in progress, and using the forum will ensure it is what YOU all want not just what i think it out to be.

 

what you lot need is what i want to deliver, and in as plain a language as possible.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

its why I partly propose two sections to this, as the main body will have much theoretical "fringe" thinking as well as current best practice in case examples, I will be covering the best of modern day equipment in evaluation including the airspade, thermo imaging, picus and resitographs, when they are appropriate, and when it is possible to dignose without over expensive and complicated procedures.

 

but most importantly, to emphasise the need to evaluate these things carefully and ensuring that knee jerk perceptions of decay are diminished as much as is humanly possible, decay has negative perceptions and this is wildly over emphasised and deeply engrained within the culture.

[bumble B]

When I was taking exams I could not find a decent winter twig ident book, or fungi ident book with decent pictures and explanation of decay relevant to just trees.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

When I was taking exams I could not find a decent winter twig ident book, or fungi ident book with decent pictures and explanation of decay relevant to just trees.

 

to be fair there are now some great books about on the subject, but none are really delivering much to the "coal face" guys, nor comprehensive or even that definitive in their evaluations and outcomes, even long term suggestions.

 

This is about bringing all of the info out there into as compact and accessibly a unit as possible, and adding in much of the recent insights about the ecology of decay and its vital role within the ageing process of trees.

 

it will revel in revealing the delights of D, rather than demon-ising the fungal kingdom as a wholly negative issue.

 

many fungi will be present at some time or other in a trees long life, to act on this as though it is the begining of the end is nieve to put it mildly, it is just the opposite and a time of great character and pressence for the tree.

[mrtree]

You are looking to pack alot into a "compact and accesibly a unit as possible". I think an identification quide with short notes on ecology would be very useful.

Consider that an ID guide will not only be keys and id pages for each of the species, there will also be a need for a page of info for each species, a chapter (at least) on basic identification techniques, introduction, a chapter "about fungi", a chapter about ecological role etc. you are up to a big book already. Long discussions of fungal ecology may be too much.

 

One method to approach a longer book on the ecology of fungus and the interaction with trees would be to write a series of articles that could form the basis of chapters for a "larger" book. These chapters would be great for a number of magazines or self-published on the web.

 

One article can be based on "many fungi will be present at some time or other in a trees long life, to act on this as though it is the begining of the end is nieve".

Another might be discussing succession of fungal species. Another the role of antognistic fungus in tree health and use by arborists. ANother the maintenance of healthy soils and how to identify healthy soils with the use of your senses and a hand lense.

 

Lots of ideas to consider. If you are still thinking of a book from the start, speak to a book agent, editor and publisher to get some idea of what you are getting into and what is expected. I have never heard of a project like yours taking less than a couple of years (working full time at it) and very few projects see the light of publication on time.

 

Good luck, I would particularly like to see the ecological and arboricultural discussions of fungus.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

thats good advice, thanks.

 

i intend to split it in two, bought together or in part, some folk will want the heavy reading ecology etc, others like many in here will want a straight forward manual of decay and identification risk level pathogenicity etc

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

 

Good luck, I would particularly like to see the ecological and arboricultural discussions of fungus.

 

i think we have a great deal of value in this, not just arboriculturaly, but from an ecologists viewpoint.

 

I brought this subject up a while back with a bat ecologist, I quickly deduced that in order to find the bats in a sessile oak woodland, we should look to the laetiporus as a rapid and quick locator and pre cursor to bat dwellings within trees. similary in ash we would look to those colonised by hispidus and the canker forming nectria gallagena, and ive proved this in the field.

 

even owls have a certain penchant for particular decay columns, with fistulina decay being the primary cause of the development of its most favoured site characteristics

 

a subject that continues to fascinate me:001_cool:

[RobRainford]

i too would like to see an arb related fungi book. I enjoy fungi already and how different they are and like to learn about them. but when i come to look for how it affects trees, its very scarce information, i would definately be down for a copy of it all, in depth sections and in the field bits. Learning the terminology of the fungi helps with their identification.

 

A book/database that would tie a few areas together which are very closely linked in nature but not on paper would be great for anybody.

[mrtree]

"I brought this subject up a while back with a bat ecologist, I quickly deduced that in order to find the bats in a sessile oak woodland, we should look to the laetiporus as a rapid and quick locator and pre cursor to bat dwellings within trees. similary in ash we would look to those colonised by hispidus and the canker forming nectria gallagena, and ive proved this in the field.

 

even owls have a certain penchant for particular decay columns, with fistulina decay being the primary cause of the development of its most favoured site characteristics"

 

I would suggest you write this idea up as an article for a popular magazine and also as a "how to" note for a wildlife or ecological journal. The idea is brilliant and crosses fields of study.

 

By writing a "how to" note for a referreed journal you will gain research experience and excellent editing notes. A popular article will allow you to learn to write for a popular audience. I can imagine that writing about fungus without being too scientific will be very difficult. Remember most writing should be done for about the 15 or 16 year old. Writing for the informed mycologist will mean virtually nobdy can follow you.

 

If you would like to persue an article on decay columns PM me and we can talk.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

heres a little sneak preview, just to set the tone and get some thoughts from you guys, obviously it is only an intro, but I dont wanna give it all away.

 

YOUr opinions are very much valued.

 

I hope these came out as they should and no format errors occur!

 

these are two books, one for the depth, and one for the basic field I.D and implications guide

A arborists guide to fungi and their implications.docx

 

Arb-mycota.docx