Beech tree - fungus and bark disease

[salw]

Hi. I have a large mature beech tree in the garden that repeatedly grows enormous fungus around the base and locally in the ground. I remove them due to having a blind spaniel and don’t want him walking through them.  A piece of root pulled away (easily) too. The tree is also covered in white spots all over the bark. Pics attached. 
can anyone help with diagnosis please? Root rot? Bark disease?

many thanks. 

[openspaceman]

The fruiting bodies look like Meripilus giganteus and could be very significant. You could get a contractor to test the tree with one of the devices that sound out rot but from your description of the rotten root I think the rot is advanced. The white dots are a scale insect and ordinarily not to worry about but in this instance they may indicate a tree with lowered defences.

 

It looks like the tree was reduced a few years ago. what was the reason? Has it lost leaves prematurely this year compared with other beeches locally?

[daltontrees]

Meripilus giganteus for sure. Commonly decays the underside of structural roots. You have the possibility of whole tree failure there. You really ought to have that looked at properly, but going by the pics it's just a matter of time, unless by some fluke it is perfectly balanced and not exposed to winds. 

Getting it reduced or taken down while it is still climbable could reduce the costs of an otherwise tricky removal. Can't necessarily assume your insurance woudl cover you if it wiped out your shed, or worse.

[Steve Bullman]

When was it reduced, and was it reduced due to the crown dieing back? If so (and it has a fair amount of regrowth on it), the fungus has probably be in action for a while. Looks like a fell from where i'm sitting. Get someone in to have a look in person though.

Wouldn't waste my money on any sort of decay detection on that tree either.

[salw]

Thank you very much. 
So it was reduced to increase aeration and generally to bring into scale for its environment (a garden). So many plants and trees suffering from fungal infections as the garden was seriously overgrown and essentially rotting. 
it has lost its leaves prematurely. 

It will flatten the garden office and hit the house if it falls so will have a local tree surgeon sort it out. Thank you. Sad as it probably dates to the age of the house (1912 ish). 
thanks for your confirmation. 

[openspaceman]

2 hours ago, salw said:

Thank you very much. 
So it was reduced to increase aeration and generally to bring into scale for its environment (a garden). So many plants and trees suffering from fungal infections as the garden was seriously overgrown and essentially rotting. 
it has lost its leaves prematurely. 

It will flatten the garden office and hit the house if it falls so will have a local tree surgeon sort it out. Thank you. Sad as it probably dates to the age of the house (1912 ish). 
thanks for your confirmation. 

It will be interesting to see a picture of the cut stump when it is felled if you would oblige?

[salw]

Will do.