Decay images

[David Humphries]

A lime tree in a Victorian park that has a white rot colonisation of Ganoderma australe.

It is the last standing of a cluster of three limes.

 

The following image is prior to the loss of the two flanking trees from different storms.

 

We reduced the height of this tree 5 years ago (due to the presence of the brackets) and having recently undertaking decay mapping with the micro drill we decide to reduce the height by a further 3 meters to reduced the wind load on its canopy.

 

The graphs indicate that the tension side buttresses (location of fruit bodies) have a dwindling residual wall thickness but the compression side are still fairly solid.

 

 

We intend to continue monitoring the decay progression and will consider further reduction or felling depending on ongoing inspection results.

 

Before and after below.

 

[nath]

Well documented work!

[David Humphries]

16 hours ago, nath said:

Well documented work!

Thank you Nath,

 

it would be interesting to see other peoples retention work in respect to decayed trees.

[David Humphries]

Relatively recent Fomes fomentarius snap out, interesting to ponder on the profusion of epicormic growth below the fracture point.

(in comparison to the adjacent trees without the brackets and less epicormic growth)

 

Did the tree sense it coming and its pollarded itself !?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Humphries]

Roadside beech which has had the fruiting of the giant polypore (Meripilus giganteus) for at least the last 5 years.

 

 

 

 

 

Not one of my trees but I spoke with the owner and the neighboring Tree Officer about my concerns over the last couple of years, particularly as the canopy vigour was starting to decline.

 

The owner eventually got a team in to dismantle it.

 

The decay still had a while to go but not one to take chances on.

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting to note that the rhizomorphs of Armillaria are also associated.

 

 

 

 

[sloth]

Maybe the Armillaria was a more recent infection of a struggling tree, and the cause of the canopy decline?

[David Humphries]

12 minutes ago, sloth said:

Maybe the Armillaria was a more recent infection of a struggling tree, and the cause of the canopy decline?

Perhaps, it's definately a possibility, but I haven't seen the fruitbodies of the Armllaria so not able to identify which species, it may just aswell be one of the more benign species like gallica/bulbosa taking advantage of dysfunctional wood volumes.

[tony_t3d]

Willow that I felled, they wanted it leaving as it is in image so it looks like a shrub. Personally I would have had the stump grinder out to get rid properly.




This is a cluster of Sycamore that all have pockets of decay some are rotted through from wounds probably from poor cuts in the past or ripped out limbs

Your thoughts and advice would be much appreciated!

[arbogrunt]

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A chalara infected Ash we monolithed on a wildlife trust reserve in Thaxted, Essex

[David Humphries]

2 hours ago, tony_t3d said:

Willow that I felled, they wanted it leaving as it is in image so it looks like a shrub. Personally I would have had the stump grinder out to get rid properly.




This is a cluster of Sycamore that all have pockets of decay some are rotted through from wounds probably from poor cuts in the past or ripped out limbs

Your thoughts and advice would be much appreciated!



 

 

Willow looks like it would go on working as a coppice if put on to a 5 -  10 year cycle.

 

The sycamores look to have good potential for bats, I'd be looking to pollard them.