Can anyone diagnose this?

[jasonbr]

I've been called to a large beech tree. Most of the crown is showing signs of quite severe dieback. Between some buttresses is growing a dark fungus. Is this daldinia? On the grass around the base are remains of a different type of growth. Also on the bark are whiteish blotches with black specs. I've tried to capture these on camera. Can anyone help? What would you do?

[treemeup]

my money will be on this:

Armillaria mellea - Honey fungus - David Humphries’s Fungi Directory - Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists

[Ian Flatters]

Middle one looks like meripilus, Can't really tell on the 1st one but im sure monkey d or hamadrayd will know. 3rd i don't think it is but it might be Cryptococcus fagisuga damage or just lichen?

[Dave D]

top one looks like 'ganoderma pfeifferi'

 

not sure on the other two but i would suspect the 3rd is a lichen of sorts.

[Slothlike]

Appears to be Merripilus in a decayed state and lichen in the 3rd pic

 

HTH

[Alinicoll]

I`d say old Merripilus too.

[Matthew Arnold]

Kretzchmaria deutsa in first pic n old Merip in second pic. Third pic is just lichen.

[Graham]

Def Meripilus and poss K. deusta. Targets? Get it felled.

[jasonbr]

Thanks a lot guys. The owner is rather reluctant to have tree removed. It's not posing a hazard where its situated. Its a short but very broad tree with a trunk diametre of 1.5 - 2 metres. Due to the extent of deadwood reshaping the crown is pretty much impossible. Could pollarding be an option? Or fell it?

[Alinicoll]

My personal opinion is this. If there is major crown dieback then there is generally root dieback, particularly where Meripulus is involved. If you are in doubt get a consultants opinion.

 

The tree may or may not be safe to climb. It may or may not be appropriate to try heavy reduction. Pictures of the crown condition might help. If the tree is old then there is a very high chance that any attempt to pollard it will kill it. However, the tree may have a high habitat value in which case monolithing may be a good option if the customers is up for that. If you monolith it and it comes back from it by some chance then thats fine.

 

If the tree is not posing any hazard whatsoever then just let it fall to pieces.