The arborist's little helper

[Nimby]

On the first picture, it's interesting to note that the WP has opted to peck the top of both scars.

 

I am sure I heard years back that a WP creates two holes as a way of confusing predators as to which nest they are in? Something like anyway.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Sorry to derail this thread slightly but i just heard this joke and i think it fits nicely in this thread:001_rolleyes:

 

Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, are growing in the woods. A small tree begins to grow between them, and the beech says to the birch, "Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"

 

The birch says he cannot tell. Just then a woodpecker lands on the sapling. The birch says, "Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"

 

The woodpecker takes a taste of the small tree. He replies, "It is neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. It is, however, the best piece of ash I have ever put my pecker in."

 

:lol:

 

[Fungus]

On the first picture, it's interesting to note that the WP has opted to peck the top of both scars ... a WP creates two holes as a way of confusing predators as to which nest they are in?

 

In my experience, woodpeckers only make one hole in a nesting tree. The reason for pecking/testing the top is, that the brown or white rot mainly is found underneath the top of the scar and/or a FB sticking out, so the effort to hollow the tree needs less hard labour, i.e. with brown rot the bird just has to "jump up and down" a few times to create a deep enough nesting cavity . Besides, this way the bird keeps a roof close over its head.

Edited August 13, 2011 by Fungus

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

In my experience, woodpeckers only make one hole in a nesting tree. The reason for pecking/testing the top is, that the brown or white rot mainly is found underneath the top of the scar and/or a FB sticking out, so the effort to hollow the tree needs less hard labour, i.e. with brown rot the bird just has to "jump up and down" a few times to create a deep enough nesting cavity . Besides, this way the bird keeps a roof close over its head.

 

im thinking maybe its different with hispidus as it prefers the high carbon atmosphere, hence producing mycelial plugs in shwarze research?

 

so not liking the highly aerated scenario around a woodpeckers nest?

[Fungus]

maybe its different with hispidus as it prefers the high carbon atmosphere, hence producing mycelial plugs?

 

Tony,

Correct, as I was only referring to the brown and white rot producing species of annual or perennial bracket fungi in/on birch and red oak from my research top preference list.

[Fungus]

Another example of how our little helper can guide us to problem trees.

Before a woodpecker made a nesting hole in this Quercus robur, I had noticed the double buckling at greater height without knowing whether it was caused by a reaction to a "mechanical" problem (fibre kinking : bulge-wood) or to an internal stability problem (flexibility-stiffness or slenderness ratio) caused by a white or brown rotter.

With only Phellinus robustus (see the next photo's) and no Laetiporus sulphureus around at the entire estate monitored for some years and no horizontal cracks in the buckling zones, I consider it acceptable to assume, that it has to be the white rot causing P. robustus, which is doing the damage to the heart wood of the oak without showing itself at the outside (yet).

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

nice one gerrit, a fungi i very much want to experience for myself.

 

is the above fruit body canker a typical? as with hispidus

[Fungus]

is the above fruit body canker a typical? as with hispidus

 

No, it isn't a canker nor bark necrosis, but the effect of the mycelium "consuming" almost all of the heart wood after which the bark sinking starts and strips of bark are thrown off. This type of "damaging" a tree on the long run is typical of some Phellinus species, as is shown in the next two photo's of P. robustus on Quercus rubra and P. igniarius on Populus alba.

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[sean freeman]

Gerrit this is a feature (the sinking) that occurs with Phellinus sp on many trees here in Oz too.

[Fungus]

a feature (the sinking) that occurs with Phellinus sp on many trees here in Oz too.

 

Sean,

Here's an example of the effect Phellinus igniarius has on Populus alba.

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