Neville Fay on Fomes...

[Baxter]

Found this really interesting how a Fomes can actuially pro long the life of a beech.

Im not 100% but my understanding is that instead of decaying the wood in patches, it is decayed in vertical segments allowing some of the crown to remain healthy?

 

Please correct my mistakes?

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkuqJaztn3Y]Neville Fay and Paul Stamets in Richmond Park - YouTube[/ame]

 

Nick

[treeseer]

Found this really interesting how a Fomes can actuially pro long the life of a beech.

Im not 100% but my understanding is that instead of decaying the wood in patches, it is decayed in vertical segments allowing some of the crown to remain healthy?

Yes I think that's accurate. Fungus lessens weight in the crown = less loading = less risk, if the decay pattern allows columns of sound wood to remain.

 

This does not seem to prove the notion that the tree is dependent on the fungus, but it does prove they can coexist in a fairly sustainable fashion, and it calls the term "pathogen" into question.

[Fungus]

how a Fomes can actually pro long the life of a beech ... instead of decaying the wood in patches, it is decayed in vertical segments allowing some of the crown to remain healthy?

 

Nick,

The effect of this Fomes strategy is not that the life of the beech is prolonged and parts of the crown remain healthy, but that the tree gets far more at risk of loosing a part to one half of the crown and stem because of a vertical split caused by a (summer) storm, especially when the tree is in full foliage and Fomes has formed mycelial sheets or felts inside the vertical split zone.

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Edited February 16, 2012 by Fungus

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

The splitting due to a clever and lazy fungus following the path of least resistance the increasing cracks along medulary rays.

[Baxter]

Thanks guys they are quality answers!

[treeseer]

True, risk can increase, depending on the activity of the fungus and the tree.

 

And there are several ways to mitigate that risk.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

True, risk can increase, depending on the activity of the fungus and the tree.

 

And there are several ways to mitigate that risk.

 

 

go on then, i will ask, tell us more, how does one deal with the risks posed by Fommes fomentarius

[Fungus]

go on then, i will ask, tell us more, how does one deal with the risks posed by Fomes fomentarius

 

Guy,

And while you're at it, could you also enlighten us on the mitigation of the risk of an old birch decomposed by F. fomentarius ?

[treeseer]

Now, gents, you both know about pruning and support options for urban trees.

 

For the rural trees, nature is more left to take its course. Mitigation is determined by objectives; it depends.

 

And if you are spoiling for a spat based on hypothetical situations, no thanks, no time to take on the tag-team!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Now, gents, you both know about pruning and support options for urban trees.

 

For the rural trees, nature is more left to take its course. Mitigation is determined by objectives; it depends.

 

And if you are spoiling for a spat based on hypothetical situations, no thanks, no time to take on the tag-team!

 

I was actually curious what stance an ISA man would take, in case you hadnt noticed I have been very light hearted if a little sarcastic towards you rather than spoiling for a battle of wills, which as I said the other day I have no desire to enter into. I was asking because fomes has a very specific effect on the woody stem and wondered what you would do about this one in particular.