Managing Trees with Decay & Dysfunction

[treeseer]

Woodland beech with multiple fruiting of Ganoderma australe from February 2009.

 

We decided to reduce the leaning canopy weight over footpath steps to attempt to redistribute the weight over target.

 

 

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Nice pruning; done with a MEWP? I've been trying to sort out how to get tied in and get the right pole tool to make those cuts; fairly daunting from here.

 

It doesn't look like the central leader was touched. If toppling is the concern, perhaps the same kind of 1-3m reduction pruning treatment might later be done on it as well?

[David Humphries]

Nice pruning; done with a MEWP? I've been trying to sort out how to get tied in and get the right pole tool to make those cuts; fairly daunting from here.

 

It doesn't look like the central leader was touched. If toppling is the concern, perhaps the same kind of 1-3m reduction pruning treatment might later be done on it as well?

 

Climber is in the tree in the second shot of post 262, Guy

 

Top section (central leader) was left at that point of initial pruning to maintain as much photosynthetic material as possible (whilst reducing the leaning weight) with a return reduction planned 3/5 years later.

 

Trouble with woodland trees here, they get pushed further down our priority list as trees with issues in higher target zones become the focus. Some of the original management plans for these types of trees that should get second/third return works, slip.

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Ash are so straight-grained--ours are also prone to splitting.

 

So the last pic is of the 50% topping? I wonder how much habitat objectives drove that high a spec, but haven't worked with that species. How do you reckon the closure and sprouting will be?

 

 

 

Habitat objective was a significant factor but retention of a species in a general downward spiral locally also played a part in the decision.

 

This one below (not a particularly proud moment in my tree management portfolio) was reduced/topped about 10 years ago due to an (at that time) unquantiifed fear of the unknown state of decay in the trunk of Inonotus hispidus

 

With hindsight and the knowledge from the picus reading taken 5 years later then we would have reduced the tree a lot less in the first instance.

 

I'm putting these up to show you how a vascularly healthy ash (Fraxinus excelsior) can respond to a heavy reduction.

 

the resulting sprouts will (when time allows) be subordinated

 

 

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[treeseer]

Climber is in the tree in the second shot of post 262"

 

Yes about 3m+ away from the cuts! Pole clip used?

 

"Top section (central leader) was left at that point of initial pruning to maintain as much photosynthetic material as possible (whilst reducing the leaning weight) with a return reduction planned 3/5 years later."

 

I knew it

 

"Trouble with woodland trees here, they get pushed further down our priority list as trees with issues in higher target zones become the focus. Some of the original management plans for these types of trees that should get second/third return works, slip."

 

That's too bad; sounds like you need a cadre' of citizen climbers to volunteer. One of your guys in each tree with 3 maybe, a training day with CEUs maybe? red tape nightmare i suppose.

[David Humphries]

Here, an oak within a Victorian park in north London.

 

Relatively high target frequency, particularly in the spring & summer months.

 

Alerted to a small hanging branch which was a result of the high winds during late October.

Evidence of previous storm damage within the canopy (including the 1987 hurricane) and it has been subject to a lightning strike at some point in the last 10 years.

 

On closer look we noted a young forming fruiting body on the west side of the trunk at approximately 8 meters.

 

As a result of the climbing inspection, the tree will be scheduled for a small reduction (within 12 months) by a couple meters in height, to reduce the sail.

 

 

Click on the link if you'd like to see the inspection and Resistographs.......

 

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[David Humphries]

a neighbouring tree, so have not had any imput into the management of it.

 

Its a beech on a site which has SSSi status (Kenwood House)

 

multiple fruiting of what I take to be Ganoderma applanatum/lipsiense

 

crown height reduced possibly 10 years ago.

 

Lower oclluding wound painted with whjat I'd imagine is an Arborex type wound sealant.

 

Its in a fenced off area where public have no access.

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Significant buttress failure of a large red oak

 

The decay appears to show that it's a brown rot with mycelial sheets associated.

 

I believe this is indicative of Laetiporus sulphureus, although curiously I've haven't noted the fruiting on this particular tree over the last 15 or so years

 

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[David Humphries]

Although the tree had a notable lean over the path below it, I hadn't considered the tree for any reduction works partly due to the lack of any fruiting over the recent years that we've been inspecting it.

 

Unlike its neighbouring trees, who came through the same high winds and saturated ground conditions over the weekend, which both have known decay issues and are pencilled in for reduction works. (even more so now that one of the large adjacent trees has been removed from imediate group canopy dynamic)

 

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[David Humphries]

another large failure from this last weekend.

 

Woodland beech with a couple of Ganoderma species associated.

 

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[David Humphries]

had a little helper whilst checking out a delaminating flute sinus with calipers & a twig.........

 

 

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