Big oak fell - help analyzing why!

[Fungus]

1. the cause of the very severe decay and lack of upper surface compensation or tensile triangle (optimisation) in the upper root horizons is due to suffocation (IMO) There is only one fungi I know to cause such a lack of flare and or compensation in the upper root surface and that is Collybia.

2. I suspect grifola also would need a reasonable oxygen level as opposed to mellea/ostoyae

 

1. Could be due to compaction and suffocation, but that could have been adequately compensated by the tree after 60 years if the colonization of the root pathogen had not taken place. And Collybia fusipes could also be a candidate , although it's not very common and on the Swedish fungal Red List classified as not threatened.

2. There's always enough oxygen in the cavities in between the major roots for the mycelium of Grifola frondosa to develop and fruit.

[Cilla]

Wow, you really take this further Tony and Gerrit! Good to know what fungi to look for, escpecially the Collybia fuspies Gerrit! :-)

Seems like the stem can stay, at least for a while. Children are already loving it.

 

Björn Karlsson who went out to document for SAF and for his own curiosity has gotten copies of your answers meanwhile he awaits to get an account here and be able to reply himself.

 

The purpose of our questions is not to be able to tell exactely what made it fall, but to learn in general. And of course we also reflect on differences between this oak and the TV/Radio oak now felled. There are plenty of differences, but also similarities.

 

THANKS!

[Bjorrn]

1. Could be due to compaction and suffocation, but that could have been adequately compensated by the tree after 60 years if the colonization of the root pathogen had not taken place. And Collybia fusipes could also be a candidate , although it's not very common and on the Swedish fungal Red List classified as not threatened.

2. There's always enough oxygen in the cavities in between the major roots for the mycelium of Grifola frondosa to develop and fruit.

 

 

 

Thank you for helping us and care about the trees here!

 

To a tree falls right next to a playground of course makes the residents in the area are worried. My intention was to quickly take some photos, but it took nearly all day. It came up interested people all the time and they could then see for themselves the traces of land uplift and the damaged major roots. We have a lot of trees in Sweden, but people do not know much about them. In contrast, viewing events such as this that many want to learn more. And it's usually the complex interactions that are key to pique their interest. Therefore, your assistance invaluable to us.

 

Thanks! Björn Karlsson

 

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[treeseer]

Welcome to give your expertize and clever thoughts on why this oak fell ...

 

Expertize: Gravity did it.

 

Clever: Tree wanted to get away from people up the hill. ok maybe not clever.

 

Tree fell because fill soil killed roots. Too wet, no air.

 

Tree in picture was filled on when road was built decades ago. Looked good until it fell on a car. Widow sued state, saying trunk wound and crown decline were red flags, actable defects. State's expert showed lack of connection between aboveground conditions and the cause of the failure.

Plaintiff settled.

 

A small dose of fill can do damage: when we go back to work on ArbNews_2011_08web - Copy.pdf

I'll collect some soil to see if a lab or someone can look for fungal structures. I may be posting pics here as I know little about that, and it's not the primary focus of treatments. Restoring good air and water levels to the old roots is our job.

[Fungus]

the pathogen causing the fall of the oak probably was Grifola frondosa.

 

Cilla,

Also see my Quercus and Grifola frondosa thread.

[Fungus]

Collybia fusipes. Björn Karlsson who went out to document for SAF and for his own curiosity has gotten copies of your answers meanwhile he awaits to get an account here and be able to reply himself.

 

Cilla & Björn,

See my Quercus robur and Collybia fusipes thread.

[Bjorrn]

was the scar on the trunk with the loss of bark caused by the fall or something else?

 

 

The scar was, according to one of the neighbors, even before the tree fell. Several people also told that it had been very beautiful.

 

Björn Karlsson

[Cilla]

Cilla,

Also see my Quercus and Grifola frondosa thread.

 

Thanks for referring to both of the interesting threads Gerrit! Will refer more people in SAF into it as well.

[Fungus]

interesting threads ... Will refer more people in SAF into it as well.

 

Cilla,

Also have a look at my albums and my other threads.

[Bjorrn]

Cilla,

Also have a look at my albums and my other threads.

 

 

Thank you for showing us this. What a great place where I can start learning about fungi.

 

Bjorn Karlsson