Fungus Re-growth on new trees

[Fungus]

1. The bar for evidence of trees' potential you set mighty high, but the potential of fungi to inevitably ... destroy trees seems to be be accepted as a given ... Is this lack of objectivity scientific?

2. consider decay as king of the forest.

 

1. No, it's based on the given of scientifically valid in vivo research on thousands of trees infected by parasitic Armillaria species.

Remember "das grosse Waldsterben" in Germany and the Czech Republic and the Armillaria species responsible for it ?

And why do you think these cambium killers are feared as the most aggressive pathogens in planted mono culture woodlands and forests ?

2. Decay in the sense of recycling all that is invested in a tree is the key process in keeping the food or energy chain of the tree species specific ecosystem balanced and intact.

Parasitic fungi are the regulators or process accelerators of the forest ecosystem by killing trees, that have been damaged (storm, lightning, animals) or have reached the end of their natural life cycle and because of that have stopped being the "sugar daddy" for and have become a "parasite" of the tree species specific ecosystem in keeping most of the energy for itself and no longer sufficiently providing the tree's ecosystem with sugar polymeres to survive as a whole.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

"As the initial attacking strategy of parasitic Armillaria species is infiltrating the tree through the roots (hyphae, rhizomorphs) and then rising up the trunk blocking transport and killing the cambium,"

 

True, but this rising can be stopped by compartmentalization.

 

- how do you think "drying out" the infected areas of the trunk can help the tree to compensate for the partial loss of its roots and stop further spreading of the infection to other parts of the trunk.

 

Experience, and knowledge and observation of compartmentalization.

 

"how do you invigorate roots, that already are infected or are easily infiltrated by rhizomorphs actively searching for living substrates to colonize in the soil ?"

 

By "fixing" the soil, in hama's word--changing levels of air and moisture and organic matter and nutrients and , to improve root function, including resistance to and potential displacement of pathogens.

 

"But we have to know when were wasting money and time"

 

We do not have to "know", or guarantee, any outcome. But if we are working as arborists, we DO have to know the client invests money in our time because they value the trees. Should our first move be to decide to give up on the trees, without presenting other management options for the CLIENT to decide from?

 

Did the client here assign the arborist to be Chancellor of their Exchequer?

 

We have not seen these trees, so how can we at our computers decide that R&R is the only way to go?

 

we all love trees, and all want to do the best job we can, we are not magicians though, and need to be realistic and objective.

 

if these trees where humans I am sure no expense would be spared in ensuring thier demise is far slower, more prolonged and very costly:sneaky2:

 

and dont over estimate CODIT, many fungi including Basidiomycetes have a strategy that can get round codit models, Soft rot, with the Barrier zone (wall 4) being the one true barrier to all but the most potent aggressive parasites/pathogens.

 

codit may be very effective when the tree is in uba health, and has its full compliment of mycorrhizae, but then when a tree is healthy codit isnt usualy needed to the same degree.

 

Codit isnt so much a barrier as a set of anotomical obstructions to which depending on fungi/tree species are in the equation can be rendered as useless as a wet paper bag in a rain storm, like kretz in lime for instance

[treeseer]

"we all love trees, and all want to do the best job we can, we are not magicians though, and need to be realistic and objective."

 

agreed. We especially need to be realistic and objective about our lack of knowledge.

 

"if these trees where humans I am sure no expense would be spared in ensuring thier demise is far slower, more prolonged and very costly:sneaky2:"

 

And with trees, more or less effort might be made, depending on owner objectives. But re costly, again, that is the owner's concern. The arborist just describes the options.

 

"and dont over estimate CODIT, many fungi including Basidiomycetes have a strategy that can get round codit models, Soft rot, with the Barrier zone (wall 4) being the one true barrier to all but the most potent aggressive parasites/pathogens."

 

Walls 1-3 are not false barriers, though yes they can give way. Yes fungi have strategies but so do trees.

 

"codit may be very effective when the tree is in uba health, and has its full compliment of mycorrhizae, but then when a tree is healthy codit isnt usualy needed to the same degree."

 

Right, so typically our job is to describe how health can be restored, diagnosing and prognosing.

 

"Codit isnt so much a barrier as a set of anotomical obstructions"

 

Yes, and physiological obstructions too.

 

"... to which depending on fungi/tree species are in the equation can be rendered as useless as a wet paper bag in a rain storm, like kretz in lime for instance"

 

can be, yes, in time, yes. But we have not seen them all, so our knowledge is not absolute, so our words perhaps should not be so absolute. And buying time, even for a lime with kretz and low probability of codit, may fit the owner's objectives.

Edited October 18, 2011 by treeseer