Decay images

[David Humphries]

I'm always amazed at how little vascular tissue is required for a tree to maintain itself to some degree or other.

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Urban ash that's been in decline for the last couple of years.

Slight lean toward the road and foot path.

 

We inspect this tree once a year and hadn't noted any fungi fruiting other than Daldinia around some older prunning wounds.

Put the Resistograph the base of the stem to see what was going on.

 

 

 

 

Roadside showed sound wood until a central decay about 30cm in.

 

 

Opposite side showed less sound wood (about 12cm) before it hits the decay/cavity

 

 

The quadrant reading taken between the above two appeared a lot more significant

 

 

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Edited June 1, 2016 by David Humphries

[David Humphries]

We took the tree down last week and had a look at the cross section at the base earlier today.

 

 

The above cross sections appear to show a brown rot toward the outside (not confirmed, but I suspect Rigidoporus ulmarius) and a white rot toward the centre. The cavity wall was coated by Melanine, which is likely to be Armillaria.

 

 

Always interesting to see how the Resistograph compares to the cross section

 

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[Jake Andrews]

We took the tree down last week and had a look at the cross section at the base earlier today.

 

[ATTACH]205719[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]205720[/ATTACH]

 

The above cross sections appear to show a brown rot toward the outside (not confirmed, but I suspect Rigidoporus ulmarius) and a white rot toward the centre. The cavity wall was coated by Melanine, which is likely to be Armillaria.

 

 

Always interesting to see how the Resistograph compares to the cross section

 

[ATTACH]205721[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]205722[/ATTACH].

 

The resistagraph is an amazing tool which I would love to own one day. Did you suspect cavities before the drill David?

[David Humphries]

Yep, sounded dull during sounding.

 

Just didn't know the size or extent of the decay/cavity.

 

 

 

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[Jake Andrews]

The resistagraph is an amazing tool which I would love to own one day. Did you suspect cavities before the drill David?

 

Can you expand a little more on the Melanine on the cavity wall please. I tried a quick search but couldn't find anything:what:

[David Humphries]

Can you expand a little more on the Melanine on the cavity wall please. I tried a quick search but couldn't find anything:what:

 

Sorry Jake, I should have probably expanded on that a bit more.

 

Melanine is a black coating that Armillaria mycelium lays down protecting the wood against elements and other organisms for its own benefit.

 

I believe it's made of the same substance as the black coating seen on Rhizomorphs.

 

See post 5 of this thread below.....

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/fungi-pictures/29219-armilaria-central-cavity-decayer.html

 

 

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[Jake Andrews]

Sorry Jake, I should have probably expanded on that a bit more.

 

Melanine is a black coating that Armillaria mycelium lays down protecting the wood against elements and other organisms for its own benefit.

 

I believe it's made of the same substance as the black coating seen on Rhizomorphs.

 

See post 5 of this thread below.....

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/fungi-pictures/29219-armilaria-central-cavity-decayer.html

 

 

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Wow, fascinating thread. Thanks for the share. Iv seen so many melanine plates on trees I have removed and never known what it is. That thread leads me to believe armillaria is a lot more common than I first thought.

[David Humphries]

Interesting pattern of decay and dysfunction in this pond side sycamore.

 

We had to raise the canopy for access (which will make it more hospitable to bats)

 

The base of the stem and the cavity have fruiting bodies of Kretzschmaria deusta

 

The disc was taken from a collar of a side branch near to the top of the cavitation.

 

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[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Been called out to see this one today.... Golf course, very lucky it didn't cause damage / harm given the proximity of the footpath....