V.T.A symptoms "the chatty trees"

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

With a recent high wind event in january I think it was I thought it was long overdue I check my suspects! my number 2 choice had failed, along with many birches suffering with the mellea. but I thought I would share these images to illustrate how trees can communicate their battles. Many many big trees had been exposed to extreme high winds during the recent gales and this was displayed at the roots, I only wish I had been in the woods at the time to actualy film the bark and moss popping off under tension!

 

 

I love this aspect of our work, and the more I study it, the more I want to know. It is surprising just how bad decay has to be before its a serious issue, finding the right balance between leaving things be and taking action is something we all need to work on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

The best stazi ears on Oak ive ever seen!

 

 

 

 

[JonnyVine]

Those ears are just large amounts of reaction wood laid down in response to a radial crack ( one ear ) or a diametrical crack ( two ears ), the fact that the ears are so big indicates that the crack has not fully occluded.

[treeseer]

Lonnng ears there--what to do?

[RobRainford]

Lonnng ears there--what to do?

 

not much, just leave it and learn!

[likeitorlumpit]

but if that were growing by your house- what would you do?

[RobRainford]

but if that were growing by your house- what would you do?

 

move?

 

 

i wouldnt do much more than a reduction to reduce the lever arm, the reduced windsail would at least help the tree to stabilise the union, unlikely that it will completely occlude it but all we can do is help it.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Those ears are just large amounts of reaction wood laid down in response to a radial crack ( one ear ) or a diametrical crack ( two ears ), the fact that the ears are so big indicates that the crack has not fully occluded.

 

a radial crack started by an included union (garaunteed) and a very long pair of lever arms in a close grown old coppice wood.

 

Lonnng ears there--what to do?

 

Reduction in this case might be enough to enable full occlusion, but would also bring crown into a lower form and result in one of the most light demanding species in the british isles going into in this case terminal decline if not halo'd. So halo would be essential if reduction is to be considered.

 

not much, just leave it and learn!

 

thats the plan!

 

but if that were growing by your house- what would you do?

 

reduce it several times under a retrenchment program and look to modify its form over 50-100 years

 

move?

 

 

i wouldnt do much more than a reduction to reduce the lever arm, the reduced windsail would at least help the tree to stabilise the union, unlikely that it will completely occlude it but all we can do is help it.

 

it would occlude if it was given the chance, with crown modification/retrenchment pruning

[Treecreeper1961]

You have to admire the effort that tree is making to save itself. That transverse crack almost goes all the way down, it must be investing so much of its resources welding that crack every year.

[JonnyVine]

According to some, the rate of loss of veteran trees may be unsustainable! some of us quickly prescribe removing 30% of the live crown here and there and this ensures quite a number of the uglier members have a reasonable living.

Why not just leave the bloody thing alone and put a barrier around it? Unfortunately say the lawyers, some people might not heed the warning!

 

A whole saproxylic community can be wiped out in that 30% reduction, that sustain several other ecological communities.

 

 

 

 

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