Rigidoporus ulmarius

[TerryTibbs]

I had to cut it open as it's quite a dried bracket

 

[David Humphries]

That looks like Rigidoporus to me

 

Quite a few pore layers for such a small bracket

 

 

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[TerryTibbs]

I thought it was small given the markings around the tree where it perhaps looks like there have been brackets pulled off, or fallen off(?) this was a broken bracket, possibly 1/3 of what the original size would have been, the other 2/3 of it wasn't visible anywhere.

 

Thanks for your prompt confirmation David.

 

Chris

[David Humphries]

I thought it was small given the markings around the tree where it perhaps looks like there have been brackets pulled off, or fallen off(?) this was a broken bracket, possibly 1/3 of what the original size would have been, the other 2/3 of it wasn't visible anywhere.

 

Thanks for your prompt confirmation David.

 

Chris

 

That explains it nicely, cheers.

 

What is the situation with the tree?

Any targets?

Any plans to investigate the decay further?

 

 

 

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[TerryTibbs]

The situation is tricky, the tree sits right next to the proposed route of a drive, (planning accepted) ideally the client wants it out, more of a future thinking approach, their intent is to mitigate, as best they can, the loss of the tree with multiple replanting of more suitable trees in more suitable places.

 

It is within striking distance of the house, cars will be 'targets' as will young family members. Evaluating the tree i struggle to see that it will take a reduction, at it's size the tree is predominantly scaffold.

 

My understanding is that it causes brown rot and cubical cracking, do you have any advice of avenues of further investigation?

 

Chris

[David Humphries]

What other trees are there in the local area?

Is there a healthy age range and species diversity already?

Are there other sycamores?

Would the loss of this one tree have a significant impact on the local aesthetics and biodiversity on the surroundings?

 

Rigidoporus seems to me (from the few failures I've witnessed, plus dissection and decay detection/evaluation I've carried out) to be a slow degrader of the cellulose of the woody volumes it inhabits.

 

Having said that, target assessment is always a crucial part of tree management.

 

One option to assess & quantify the level of degredation would be to employ decay detection equipment such as tomography or resistograph.

 

Reads like you have the facts and options available to remove and replace.

 

Let us know if it does get removed, always keen to see cross sections of the stump of trees with known decay

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

 

Rigidoporus seems to me (from the few failures I've witnessed, plus dissection and decay detection/evaluation I've carried out) to be a slow degrader of the cellulose of the woody volumes it inhabits.

 

Having said that, target assessment is always a crucial part of tree management.

 

One option to assess & quantify the level of degredation would be to employ decay detection equipment such as tomography or resistograph.

 

Reads like you have the facts and options available to remove and replace.

 

Let us know if it does get removed, always keen to see cross sections of the stump of trees with known decay

 

 

.

 

lets not forget the tree species and growing condition dependency on decay diagnosis and prognosis.

 

Ive seen Rigi destroy poplars pretty quickly for example

[TerryTibbs]

The tree is in a conservation area, BUT within a 200 metre radius there is a mature Beech, 4 semi mature Sycamores, and from the tree about 400 metres away there is a woodland that runs non stop for 4-5 miles, this has a great variation in species and age.

 

Re: Local aesthetics, i feel this tree doesn't add to the area, obviously it is valuable in terms of biodiversity but i don't feel this loss won't be that significant given the client's drive to replant native species and in their terms 'trees for the future' planted in more appropriate places.

 

I feel that from this discussion, and given the target assessment (striking distance of client property and 2 neighbouring properties - depending on potential direction of failure), over a driveway that essentially the risk management errs to removing this and post construction work replanting.

 

Thanks again,

 

Chris

[TerryTibbs]

And if/when it goes i'll make sure to document findings and post the up here.

 

Chris

[David Humphries]

lets not forget the tree species and growing condition dependency on decay diagnosis and prognosis.

 

Ive seen Rigi destroy poplars pretty quickly for example

 

 

Apologies, perhaps I should of listed every single species of tree I so far documented it on and conversely every single species of tree I haven't seen it on, in the name of balanced perspective of course