Inonotus as a saprophyte

[BatiArb]

I recently received a private message that I thought was worth sharing and discussing further.

 

 

Hi Andrew

 

I noticed this week Inonotus dryadeus growing on a fallen Lucombe Oak which has been on the deck for around 18months. It is also growing on some cross cut sections on the tree which are still in the park. Interestingly I was not aware that it was present on the tree before if failed, however other fungi were.

 

I see that it is listed in some books as a saphophyte and Londsdale mentions stumps in his book, but I've never seen this before.

 

Have you seen it on dead trees before? is it more common on dead trees than I seem to think it is?

 

Thanks for your help

 

 

 

I would personally consider the majority of decay fungi as primarily saprophytic, with some of them only in specific circumstances turning to a parasitic form.

 

Fungi in trees are simply taking advantage of a situation where there is dry wood to decay in a sheltered enclosed environment, which offers them stability. Some are also capitalising on being in there early with a pioneering colonisation strategy, which enables them to grow with limited competition.

 

The enclosure within the tree offers them a place where there is less competition, because the species we associate with such decay are frequently those that are able to survive in spore form within the living wood. Such species can take advantage of the early colonisation of the wood and frequently their mode of decay is very specialist as a result.

 

I suspect that we do not see Inonotus dryadeus on fallen logs or dead trees more often, because at this stage of the log decay process there is so much competition from other fungi.

 

I think for example that the situation you describe could have occurred because the tree was blown over early (so to speak) and the Inonotus was still growing in the trunk and stump in an unrestricted form without significant competition to limit its spread.

 

Andrew

[David Humphries]

I recently received a private message that I thought was worth sharing and discussing further.

 

 

I would personally consider the majority of decay fungi as primarily saprophytic, with some of them only in specific circumstances turning to a parasitic form.

 

 

I suspect that we do not see Inonotus dryadeus on fallen logs or dead trees more often, because at this stage of the log decay process there is so much competition from other fungi.

 

 

Andrew

 

 

I guess also, that this specific type of biomass is more often than not cleaned/cleared up for urban/woodland sanitisation and/or firewood, long before dryadeus and/or others, have the oportunity to become sapro.

 

 

 

.

[sean freeman]

I suspect that for most of us who are not mycologists coming to terms with the refusal of many/most fungi to stay in their categorised boxes - Saprophyte/Parasite is a long and laborious process.

[alliaria]

Hi,

I,d always thought many decay fungi are parasitic, armillaria,ganoderma, inonotus hispidus and dryadeus, but able to take on saprobic role.

[Bundle 2]

I suspect that for most of us who are not mycologists coming to terms with the refusal of many/most fungi to stay in their categorised boxes - Saprophyte/Parasite is a long and laborious process.

 

 

What he said!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

It may be more appropriate in the future to consider them ALL saprophytic, and diagnose the pathogenicity based purely on the vigour and vitality of the tree.

 

I have seen Oaks compartmentalise and overcome I. dryadeus, and be left with a hollow cone formation and stilt like root formations (bradgate deer park)

 

Fungi can and do assist in retrenchment of trees, hispidus in ash, Auricukaria mesenterica in beech, laetiporus and fistulina in Oak.

 

The relationships are many, varied and complex, we have a long long way to go, but eventualy in the future we will not be so quick to judge a trees hazard simply based on a fungal bracket.

 

Thermo imaging is one of the Key tools of the future, it will tell us how vital the tree is, without invasive techniques, and allow for a very acurate and defendable assesment of the trees vitality and resources to overcome and deal with decay organisms.

 

it is true that SOME will fail, but equally true that most will not.

 

This relationship has been going on for longer than man or mammal has existed, did we really expect it to be a simple affair, a one way battle.

 

battle isnt even the right word, its more like an organised system, of flow forms, the transformation of all through all in receptive space.

 

the proscess of evolution through natural inclusion, rather than selection.

 

Not a battle, a co operation, a mutual sharing of space, place and time.

[gibbon]

Here it is again. I spotted this Inonotus during an inspection this morning. Looks like this Oak has been dead for quite some time. This is only the second time I've noticed it on a dead tree.

[David Goss]

It may be more appropriate in the future to consider them ALL saprophytic, and diagnose the pathogenicity based purely on the vigour and vitality of the tree.

 

I have seen Oaks compartmentalise and overcome I. dryadeus, and be left with a hollow cone formation and stilt like root formations (bradgate deer park)

 

Fungi can and do assist in retrenchment of trees, hispidus in ash, Auricukaria mesenterica in beech, laetiporus and fistulina in Oak.

 

The relationships are many, varied and complex, we have a long long way to go, but eventualy in the future we will not be so quick to judge a trees hazard simply based on a fungal bracket.

 

Thermo imaging is one of the Key tools of the future, it will tell us how vital the tree is, without invasive techniques, and allow for a very acurate and defendable assesment of the trees vitality and resources to overcome and deal with decay organisms.

 

it is true that SOME will fail, but equally true that most will not.

 

This relationship has been going on for longer than man or mammal has existed, did we really expect it to be a simple affair, a one way battle.

 

battle isnt even the right word, its more like an organised system, of flow forms, the transformation of all through all in receptive space.

 

the proscess of evolution through natural inclusion, rather than selection.

 

Not a battle, a co operation, a mutual sharing of space, place and time.

 

Thats deep man, you been smoking some of natures goodness?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Here it is again. I spotted this Inonotus during an inspection this morning. Looks like this Oak has been dead for quite some time. This is only the second time I've noticed it on a dead tree.

 

Note how many brackets are forming, gerrit may suggest that what is happening is that the inonotus is aware of its iminent end, the death of its mycelium and is "panic" friuting to move ion to pastures a new.

 

From the now 500+ trees ive seen colonised ( saw 30-50 this weekend!) I have only seen ONE failure (see image)

 

Inonotus is definatley a parasite, but one that takes no more than it needs to fruit occsasionaly and this may be many years between fruitings. Recent years have seen a once considered infrequent fungus raise its brow enough for some of us to fully deduce its role within the life cycle of Oaks, the tree which survives a long time with dryadues mainly because it is a pace keeper, and defender of territory against more aggressive fungi, I.e Ganoderma australe and fistulina hepatica the latter of which it is it would seem a good combatant with.

 

If you knew how many oaks in Englan are home to dryadeus you would not bat an eyelid, close grown forest trees succumb more easily, as do stressed roadside trees, but a field grown, not on your nelly.

 

Thats deep man, you been smoking some of natures goodness?

 

not smoking the ganja, just into my N.I (Natural inclusionality)

 

[gibbon]

Yeah they're small fruiting bodies, but there are loads of big old ones from last year. Interesting site though as there's loads of inonotus on the oaks, one tree has them nearly 2m from the stem on the ground. One very large oak does seem to be losing the battle though with almost no living roots at all on one side. Id like to reduce that one a little