Roadside Decay

[Giles Hill]

Most of the pictures are of fairly rural looking areas - you see quite a lot of ash with I. hispidus on the country lanes around here. I tend to take the view that whilst they might cause a hazard if they fall onto the road, the chances of anyone being hit are very remote because the roads aren't that busy and any traffic is only a target for a tiny fraction of the time that the tree is stood there.

 

The traffic itself is a far greater hazard on those kind of roads.

[David Humphries]

Most of the pictures are of fairly rural looking areas - you see quite a lot of ash with I. hispidus on the country lanes around here. I tend to take the view that whilst they might cause a hazard if they fall onto the road, the chances of anyone being hit are very remote because the roads aren't that busy and any traffic is only a target for a tiny fraction of the time that the tree is stood there.

 

The traffic itself is a far greater hazard on those kind of roads.

 

 

 

Mostly agree Giles.

 

A lot of the first shots are rural Norfolk, though the last two ( whilst looking like the epitome of rural quite ) are pretty busy commuter & school pick up routes just outside of London.

 

Much higher than usual target frequency.

 

 

 

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[sean freeman]

Not unrelated...since I suspect that like me you fear that this is a likely consequence of the blunt instrument (brain of the tree/highway inspector) being applied.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuxC3rxXMIo&feature=related]YouTube - The tragedy of the roadside tree[/ame]

 

I think that QTRA might provide you with an additional tool with which to both interpret the assessible risk and present the results of that assessment to the tree owner/manager/custodian.

 

But I do feel you already have the capacity to present your assessment in an understandable manner that should not result in knee jerk tree felling...in the end I think we can only lead others towards gaining a more realistic understanding of tree and fungal ecology, of tree physiology and functional biology...I have come to recognise that we cannot force them to move forward (not that this is what you are necessarily talking about), that is something they have to do themselves.

Edited January 8, 2011 by sean freeman

[David Humphries]

Didn't know Ted could film & monologue at the same time..........what a pro

 

 

 

Guess the real long term tragedy around the loss of trees like the one in the vid, is the lack of continuity of that specific habitat management.

 

Whether that be hedgrow pollard, coppice or layered woodbank.

 

 

Old tree goes, theres more than likely not a replacement already maturing to take it's place.

 

Huge ecology gap that is not going to get filled.

 

 

 

 

Happy new year sean

 

 

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[Giles Hill]

It's a difficult one. If you were being paid to assess the trees, you'd probably recommend that some action was taken.

 

As a passer-by you can take a view. I think I could sleep soundly at night if I believed the chances of someone actually being hit were remote - in most cases the statistics are very much in your favour.

 

Publishing your concerns about those last two on a public forum possibly presents an additional onus to notify the landowner - from a backside covering point of view!

[David Humphries]

as refered to earlier in the thread, I do go out of my way (fairly regularly) to inform owners of there duty of care. Quite often after the twitching of net curtains when they clock the odd fella pointing a camera at their tree in the front garden.

 

I'm sure you can imagine how often I do this

 

But I think the threads more about my interest in others perspectives, when they come across something in passing that they go back & take a second look at.

 

 

.............................or do they?

 

 

 

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[Giles Hill]

 

But I think the threads more about my interest in others perspectives, when they come across something in passing that they go back & take a second look at.

 

 

.............................or do they?

 

.

 

Of course, and a third and a fourth, in fact when ever I happen to pass by including taking minor detours to look at some trees if there's time. Isn't that normal?

 

I particularly like the ones hosting annual brackets, because they keep changing.

 

Nothing I've been observing yet has failed - I guess that's due to being a relative fungal newbie.

[David Humphries]

Interesting combo of Meripilus giganteus (desicated fruit bodies at base) & Daedaleopsis confragosa on trunk

 

 

road side on the A355.

 

Fairly shocked to see this tree still standing, as I noted it had Merip at the base last year on passing by.

 

Will get on to the relevent Highways authority on the morrow.

 

 

 

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Edited January 25, 2011 by Monkey-D

[Arborist]

I went up to merrist wood this morning for a walk and look around and sore this brachet which had been fenced off (suprised its still there!).

It seems to be on the root system of a Walnut.

[Arbgirl]

Can I pick people's brains?

 

I noticed a semi mature beech (30m at least) with Kretschmaria and Ganoderma on it in a pub/hotel car park about 15 months ago

 

Directly underneath it are picnic benches, other targets include a car sales garage/workshop, busy main road, the pub, hotel and the car park (depending which way it falls when it goes)

 

Signs of saprophitic fungi on various limbs at about 3-4 metres

 

(other trees also had ganos and other fungi I cant remember now)

 

I asked about and found the owner of the trees (the pub) and took the manager outside to show him and told him that there was a decay fungi on it that will cause the tree to fall over some point and that there are numerous targets

 

Asked him if the trees were surveyed annually and the implications for his insurance if he isnt able to show that he had taken reasonable care to ensure they are safe? Told him to get an ISA/AA registered bod to come and survey the trees and give him their opinion (ie not a cowboy without any fungi knowledge), and he said he would look into it. I fully believed he would do so

 

Went back 9 months later, the trees are still there although a lot of the Kretschmaria appeared to have been picked off (?) - no work has been undertaken at all

 

Firstly, did I overstep the mark by telling the pub manager about it?

 

Secondly, what do you think I should do now? Nothing? or tell the brewery?

 

Many thanks

 

(trees are near Preston in Lancs)