Managing Trees with Decay & Dysfunction

[David Humphries]

With the assistance of 'unknown' helper, I've had the oportunity to look a little closer at an ongoing decay of an Ash that I'm 'managing down'.

 

The Tree has a large perenial fruitbody of Perenniporia fraxinia & also Ganoderma sp

 

The recently excavated hole leading to the ground cavity beneath the Perenniporia bracket has now shown that the original butress behind the bracket is covered in a melanine plaque. Behind which the structural wood is very desicated.

 

 

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[Fungus]

The recently excavated hole leading to the ground cavity beneath the Perenniporia bracket has now shown that the original butress behind the bracket is covered in a melanine plague. Behind which the structural wood is very desicated.

 

David,

And "sitting" on and trying to colonize and penetrate the melanine plaque is a Trichoderma species, probably T. viride, the anamorph of Hypocrea rufa, of which the teleomorph also is present.

[David Humphries]

David,

And "sitting" on and trying to colonize and penetrate the melanine plaque is a Trichoderma species, probably T. viride, the anamorph of Hypocrea rufa, of which the teleomorph also is present.

 

Was not sure at all what the asco was that was colonising the melanine.

I had ruled out Kretz.

 

Thanks for the heads up Gerrit

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Interesting images David, good record.

[slack ma girdle]

With the assistance of 'unknown' helper, I've had the oportunity to look a little closer at an ongoing decay of an Ash that I'm 'managing down'.

 

The Tree has a large perenial fruitbody of Perenniporia fraxinia & also Ganoderma sp

 

The recently excavated hole leading to the ground cavity beneath the Perenniporia bracket has now shown that the original butress behind the bracket is covered in a melanine plague. Behind which the structural wood is very desicated.

 

 

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So based on what you are seeing, is the tree allowed to stay ?

[Bundle 2]

.... and has me concerned enough to 'delve a little deeper' to enlighten my management of this tree.

 

A complete lack of flare at the buttress region depicted.

Quite striking .

 

Interesting images David, good record.

Id go along with that !

How has the footpath played out in this colonisation David ? I do love an ash but they are not the most defensive organisms !

 

 

So based on what you are seeing, is the tree allowed to stay ?

 

This must surely depend on what we cannot see....target value ? (ie - occupation/usage of the footpath ? )

[David Humphries]

Stated earlier in the thread that I'm "managing this tree down"

 

Been heavily reduced, the shot above is of two years regrowth.

Will keep reducing down as long as it's vital enough to function & will retain as habitat tree.

Have used the micro drill to ascertain structural condition & it gets inspected during the zonal inspection once a year & additionally if & when I'm at that site.

 

Footpath is regularly used by runners/dog walkers.

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Have been managing down, a mature Q, robur over the last few years.

 

One remaining branch was still connected to it's associated root sytem, until yesterday.

 

Tree now pretty much standing dead.

 

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[David Humphries]

One remaining branch was still connected to it's associated root sytem, until yesterday.

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The remaining branch was severly compromised by the attendance of both the brown rotting Laetiporus & Fistulina (first shot)

 

Today I noted the white rotting Ganoderma lucidum fruiting either side of the last remaining live butress root, with also Xylaria polymorpha & Bjerkandera adusta at the base of the tree in the same area.

 

 

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[RobArb]

Poor tree:lol:

 

Sent from Rob's GalaxySII