Managing Trees with Decay & Dysfunction

[David Humphries]

Here we have a roadside Willow from back in 2008.

 

It's colonised by Laetiporus sulphureus aka - Sulphur Polypore.

 

Due to the presence of the fruiting bodies on the scaffolds, we carried out a 20% canopy reduction to reduce the load on the branches.

 

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[David Humphries]

Here we are back in late May this year, three years on.

 

The Laetiporus is now not fruiting in the canopy but is now fruiting at the base of the tree.

 

This obviously alerts us to an additional but different hazard, that of the trunk potentially failing & the tree falling over into the road.

 

We carried out a DMP to ascertain (& confirm what we expected) the extent of the brown rot in the trunk.

 

 

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[Paul Barton]

What did you find then David? How decayed was the lower stem?

[David Humphries]

The lack of any notable resistance to the probe, on the basal road side section of the trunk, led me to make the decision to re-pollard the tree (it's probably been twenty/thirty years since the last time it was pollarded)

 

It's crude but it will re-shoot & perpetuate it's place in this row of Willows.

 

Ofcourse we could of just felled it & replaced, but maintaining it as a hollowing pollard will provide habitat for local ecology.

(Invetebrates etc......)

 

Safe tree & bio diversity all roled into one.

 

 

Some future incumbant of my post in twenty years time will probably think 'why did they bother' & will more than likely fell it

 

 

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[David Humphries]

What did you find then David? How decayed was the lower stem?

 

 

 

Paul the cubical brown rot was fairly advanced in the trunk & the scaffolds.

 

Note the sheets of mycelium in the last shot between the rings and across the ray.

 

 

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Edited July 1, 2011 by Monkey-D

[Fungus]

... three years on. The Laetiporus is now fruiting at the base of the tree. This obviously alerts us to an additional but different hazard, that of the trunk potentially failing & the tree falling over into the road.

 

David,

You're rightfully alarmed, because to me this looks like (partially sterile) panic fruiting.

[Fungus]

It's colonised by Laetiporus sulphureus.

 

With in the third photo the entrance of a woodpecker's nesting hole, indicating the brown rot has completely hollowed the trunk or branch at that level for several decimetres downwards.

And did you also monitor the tree species specific ectomycorrhizal symbionts (Russula, Cortinarius, Tricholoma), which according to the life cycle of this willow should have been present during the last 3 years ?

[ScottF]

Great thread, Dave. Very interesting.

[David Humphries]

With in the third photo the entrance of a woodpecker's nesting hole, indicating the brown rot has completely hollowed the trunk or branch at that level for several decimetres downwards.

And did you also monitor the tree species specific ectomycorrhizal symbionts (Russula, Cortinarius, Tricholoma), which according to the life cycle of this willow should have been present during the last 3 years ?

 

 

 

Not quite as cavernous as you would expect Gerrit.

Maybe too noisy for birds to nest so close to the road.

Also not noted the usual suspects in terms of ground fruit bodies, possibly because the route is a well used commuter track & mown regularly.

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Great thread, Dave. Very interesting.

 

 

Glad you find it so Scott thumbup1:

 

 

 

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