Dead Wood Habitat

[David Humphries]

assuming the larger holes honeycombing the samples are the result of invertebrate activity?

 

Hello sean, no evidence of them within the bits in the shot, but I'd assume wood ants have created the burrowing.

 

 

 

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

Our site has a number of willow monoliths that don't have a particularly long shelf life compared to oak/beech etc (but nonetheless, great habitat volumes full of numerous invertebrate species)

 

Mainly the white rot of Ganoderma basal decay makes them topple, but also the brown rot of Laetiporus leads to the cubical delamaination decay of the trunk.

 

This one died about 8/9 years ago, the original monolith was re-reduced in 2008 due to its proximity to the path & the evident Armillaria & Ganoderma at the base.

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

the original monolith was reduced in 2008

 

Although inspected annualy, this one (Salix alba) was just getting to the stage of having to be re-worked to keep it standing for a while longer.

 

Rather than reduce it down further, we've just removed the most unstable section for now. Hopefully buying it more time as standing dead wood.

 

Loads of grubs & a wasp nest in this section, so we transfered to a near by briar patch.

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

An attempt to help mitigate the habitat loss from the felling of this Inonotus hispidus decayed park ash, we decided to set aside the best of the habitat for resurection in a nearby tree.

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

....... decided to set aside the best of the habitat for resurection in a nearby tree.

 

Ties will be looked at every year and adjusted if needed.

 

 

.

[colemanjessenz]

Such a great thing to see David , much respect to you and your team .

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

[David Humphries]

Such a great thing to see David , much respect to you and your team

 

Thank you, it helps having an interested and capable bunch of lads on the team

 

 

 

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

During the winter winds we lost an old oak monolith when a younger oak uprooted and fell across it.

 

a fairly hefty whack, but looking at what was left of the root crown it shows how little footplate is needed to keep these things upright for decades.

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

The core is full of the brown rot of Laetiporus sulphureus, the failure showed how durable the outer skin of the monolith is as this peeled section shows

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

makes you wonder if sections like this gave sculptors like Henry Moore & Barbara Hepworth inspiration

 

.