For David and Robarb

[NI Tree]

I have had beech do this in the tree tubes ,especially the old style tubes that dont split apart as good as the new ones,when cutting guards of that are struggling to split loads of water comes out and bark ushally soft almost rotting with what seems like some sort of algea or moss,sometimes ants fill the guards with soil for there nests that can be a pain but might cause roots to develop

 

i have seen this too it is a good way of describing it

[David Humphries]

Fagus never fails to suprise me in it's ability to adapt to it's environment and reconnect it's life line.

 

 

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[David Humphries]

This is possibly the best one I've ever seen.

 

Tony, you may recognise it.

 

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

yep i know the last one, Its frustrating when I remember an image and find its one of the missing.

 

thanks for the pitch in!

[Fungus]

Fagus never fails to suprise me in it's ability to adapt to it's environment and reconnect it's life line.

 

David,

I've seen this too, but :

- these are not very old or veteran beeches

- these are not adventitious rootlets surrounding the trunk's base associated with the survival strategy - including L. amethystina - of veteran beeches to invest in passing on their own genes as I described before

- in this way, the beech doesn't survive nor reproduce or invest in its genes to spread (on the long run)

- beeches often develop these rootlets in the by the mycelia (or rhizomorphs) of Armillaria species, Fomes fomentarius, Inonotus cuticularis or Pholiota aurivella decomposed wood of acute forks triggering an early fall of half of the crown leaving a massive open wound behind ("suicidal tree", becoming a parasite of itself) and by that in no way contributing to the survival of the tree and its genes.

Edited November 25, 2011 by Fungus

[David Humphries]

David,

I've seen this too, but :

- these are not very old or veteran beeches

- these are not adventitious rootlets surrounding the trunk's base associated with the survival strategy - including L. amethystina - of veteran beeches to invest in passing on their own genes as I described before

- in this way, the beech doesn't survive nor reproduce or invest in its genes to spread (on the long run)

- beeches often develop these rootlets in the by the mycelia (or rhizomorphs) of Armillaria species, Fomes fomentarius, Inonotus cuticularis or Pholiota aurivella decomposed wood of acute forks triggering an early fall of half of the crown leaving a massive open wound behind ("suicidal tree", becoming a parasite of itself) and by that in no way contributing to the survival of the tree and its genes.

 

Agreed they are not 'Ancient' Trees but being over 100 years + I would not call them young trees.

 

Do you really not see the last example above as being a Veteran tree that has failed and has not only re-rooted some distance away but is also now growing new roots down & into itself, eventually reiterating it's connection at the trunk axis ?

 

 

 

 

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[Fungus]

Do you really not see the last example above as being a Veteran tree that has failed and has not only re-rooted some distance away but is also now growing new roots down & into itself, eventually reiterating it's connection at the trunk axis ?

 

Of course I see it as an example of a tree that has failed and is reiterating it's connection to the trunks axis, but I don't see the tree surviving this way and passing on its genes, and that's what life (of trees) is all about, so this is a lost case scenario in the end.

Did you ever see a robust, healthy and for the greater part fertile reproducing beech come from this ?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Of course I see it as an example of a tree that has failed and is reiterating it's connection to the trunks axis, but I don't see the tree surviving this way and passing on its genes, and that's what life (of trees) is all about, so this is a lost case scenario in the end.

Did you ever see a robust, healthy and for the greater part fertile reproducing beech come from this ?

 

England is a rich and giddy place, veteran/ancient trees living through more scenarios than one may shake a stick at.

 

I am watching one do just this, and will find others of that one can be certain.

 

pathogenisis and co evolution depends on it, for the survival of both parties

[David Humphries]

Of course I see it as an example of a tree that has failed and is reiterating it's connection to the trunks axis, but I don't see the tree surviving this way and passing on its genes, and that's what life (of trees) is all about, so this is a lost case scenario in the end.

Did you ever see a robust, healthy and for the greater part fertile reproducing beech come from this ?

 

 

 

Gerrit, I don't see that particular tree as a 'lost cause' I see this tree as perhaps now having the chance to go beyond its 'natural life expectancy' much like some of the many other very fine ancient Beech Pollards here in the Uk (some as old as 6/700 yrs +)

 

Surely that is 'surviving & passing on it's genes' in to the distant generational future?

 

 

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[Fungus]

pathogenisis and co evolution depends on it, for the survival of both parties

 

Only if the fungal participant is a tree species specific pathogen and totally depends on the tree species for its survival (refugium), which is not the case with the parasitic macrofungi I mentioned before, as all have developed strategies to infect and invade some or even lots of other tree species.

And among pathogens, co-evolution hardly ever is the leading principle, it's all about struggle for life and survival of the fittest anyhow. Armillaria ostoyae won't shed a tear when it finally succeeds in killing all other pathogens it for now has to compete with .