Is this oak bracket? How bad a sign?

[CathB]

I've got a bit confused on Mr Google as to what the different types of oak bracket are so hoping some experts on here can help! 

 

The attached photos show what I think is an oak bracket on an old park oak in Cumbria. My questions are - what type & how indicative is this of white rot, and can one tell how bad it is just from the fruiting body? 

 

The same field has 7 park oaks, all about 250 years old, but two have sadly fallen in the last three years, both on calm days. One was already stag-headed and retrenching but the other seemingly perfectly healthy. The field is stocked year round so we assumed it was a combination of soil compaction, inorganic fertilisers, dung & work treatments.. but maybe it's more likely to be fungi? I'm not sure. 

 

We'd be very appreciative of any ID/ thoughts! 

 

 

[swinny]

Ganoderma resinaceum

Edited October 28 by swinny

[swinny]

Ganoderma on a recently felled beech

[slack ma girdle]

Its Ganoderma, and i confuse myself to which one.

Oaks seem to co-exist with this fungi for quite along time, but i expect that the root compaction is not helping and will speed up its demise.

[swinny]

Ganoderma on  recently felled sycamore

[Dendrologen]

Hi Cath. Certainly looks like Ganoderma. They are notoriously difficult for the amateur to separate.
You are spot on with what you say about the environmental conditions. Soil compaction, fertiliser use, excessive nitrates from animal dung and changes in hydrology, that kind of thing, can all tip a tree over the edge and increase the susceptibility to fungi and the impact that they have on tree health. It is quite normal for a tree of this age to have a range of fungi living in/on it. Limiting trampling, around the roots (perhaps with a fence), consider reducing stocking density and timings (in wet weather the ground will obviously get more poached) and consider applying a wood chip mulch around the base of the tree, which will help to aerate the soil by stimulating biological activity. I think it's worth bringing in a consultant for advice and to draw up a management plan to ensure the best for your trees.

[GarethM]

Just leave it be and that includes the daft idea of fencing it off or getting a consultant.

 

You can't manage and control anything that old or large, it'll probably outlive you without even a second thought.

[Dendrologen]

These are standard practice methods for alleviating soil problems, which could potentially prolong the trees' life. Even a few more years has value when the habitats provided by mature trees are so rare. The OP would like to take some action to protect their trees that they are worried about losing. Unfortunately, not all arborists care about trees or know enough about them. This is why you need advice from a certified consultant.

Edited October 29 by Dendrologen
spelling

[Rushes]

If it is park scale then you can take a pragmatic approach - just keep planting trees. You will have them at all different ages, the old ones will die the young ones grow and the ones in the middle work their way along to being old.

Much better to invest money in a sucession of trees than spend money looking after one.

 

If it's in your garden - that's different.

[GarethM]

Bingo, my thoughts exactly.

 

I've trees older and larger in fields with livestock, pragmatic is the key.

 

If something falls off you tidy it up but you don't start messing and calling in specialists to mess with the roots.