The Fung Hunters

[Kveldssanger]

Saw that on ATF's twitter. Great find!!

[David Humphries]

Saw that on ATF's twitter. Great find!!

 

Yeah good find indeed, not so much the actual bracket but the importance it places on the trees at that particular site.

 

Worth a trip up there if you get the chance

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/picture-forum/41283-pollards-eye-view.html

 

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[Kveldssanger]

Absolutely. Gives them all a level of protection they didn't have before! May potentially even change the way the site is managed?

 

Do they have future veteran oaks they're pollarding on the site, or is the twilight generation of oaks?

 

Will certainly try to get up there at some point. Between Windsor, the Heath, Oxfordshire, New Forest (going again week after next), and other places, I'll get there at some point hah.

 

All the fungi I'm finding around here are Ganoderma resinaceum and Inonotus hispidus, at the moment...! And a fair bit of Rigidoporus, too.

 

The ecology of P. quercinus is curious, too. Quite a poor competitor, I understand. Likes open wounds as well, typically sizeable areas of exposed heartwood. Did you collect any spore from the bracket for lab research? Would certainly be an idea to stockpile spore of the fungus, given its rarity.

[David Humphries]

The interesting thing about this find is that it was from an original site veteran that is now just outside the shrunken reserve due to encroaching housing development and I don't think has the same level of protection as the trees within the nature reserve.

 

Frustratingly I see this all to often, particularly near to work in north London where remnant ancient woodland veterans oaks are now in people's front gardens and get little or no more protection than scabby planted trees around them.

 

Reg's company do most of the work at the site and have created a good number of new pollards on top of the Haloing work they do.

 

Nev Fay carried out the original survey in the 90's

 

http://www.pro-natura.net/publikat-filer/Aspal_report_020811.pdf

 

https://democracy.westsuffolk.gov.uk/documents/s8129/15%200749%20TPO%20-%20Aspal%20Close%20Local%20Nature%20Reserve%20Beck%20Row.pdf

 

No spore collected as Dr Ainsworth is probably the biggest expert on the species and has recorded and studied it at all its main sites.

 

Have you read Martha Crockets paper on the oak poly's ecology?

 

 

 

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[Kveldssanger]

It's always a matter of disgust to see such valuable habitat get destroyed, with a whimsical justification of "well humans needs somewhere to live". So does everything else, and when development takes over habitat for other organisms is challenged. Of course, that's the elephant in the room, or the taboo subject.

 

Anyway, it's refreshing to know Reg is helping create new pollards. I note managers are doing the same in Epping, where hornbeam of a young age are being pollarded. A great revitalisation of traditional practice, no question. Hopefully it gains for traction, regardless of why - be it cultural, ecological, economic, or otherwise.

 

Is that paper open access?

[David Humphries]

.....Is that paper open access?

 

I think Martha sent it to me via email, but looks like it is open access now.

 

Ecology of the rare oak polypore Piptoporus quercinus and the tooth fungi Hericium cirrhatum, H. coralloides, and H. erinaceus in the UK. -ORCA

 

 

 

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Edited July 31, 2016 by David Humphries

[Kveldssanger]

Got a little excited seeing the below around Windsor. Buglossoporus pulvinus (syn: Piptoporus quercinus). Very cool!

 

First tree was a dead oak.

[Kveldssanger]

Second one was a very much a live oak. Looks like it could be this species, too!

[Kveldssanger]

And sod macro zooms. Olympic gold medal is on its way via DHL. Credit goes to Betula and Alan for partaking in this image, while I stood behind the camera!

[David Humphries]

Sounds like Mr Kew was suitably impressed.

 

Great find guys !

 

Shows how well understood the importance (and maintenance) of dead/dysfunctional wood is around Windsor, as the number of oak poly records in the area alludes to

 

 

 

 

 

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