Bracing a tree for its Habitat value

[David Humphries]

Veteran lapsed beech pollard, approximately 450 years old, significant root decay from Meripilus giganteus

 

The tree, due to its age, is host to a myriad of different species, one of which is an incredibly rare lichen which is red data listed.

 

It has been the subject of a previous (wire) bracing to stabilise the three remaining poles some 10+ years ago.

 

The target is an internal tarmac road which is now used by pedestrians only.

 

The ongoing management prior to the assessment for stability was a proccess of three staged reductions to aid retrenchment of the canopy at roughly 5 year intervals.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocPi9LV7FkI]Bracing Beech Pollard - YouTube[/ame]

 

 

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[David Humphries]

To aid stability (due to the Meripilus in the roots) & prolong the verticle life span of this habitat tree, the roadside pole has had weight reduced further and the remaining poles have been tethered to adjacent maiden beeches.

 

 

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[sandspider]

That's a lovely gnarly old tree. Glad it was saved rather than chopped, well done.

[Logrod]

The bracing looked fairly loose to me (an amateur), is that deliberate to allow movement?

[David Humphries]

The bracing looked fairly loose to me (an amateur), is that deliberate to allow movement?

 

The old tri-wire bracing?

 

that became loose when weight was taken off the road side pole, prior to the tethers being installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Adam M]

Is that at Burnham?

[Ian Flatters]

Interesting video david. Its nice to see management over removal, do you have any info on the type of lichen? just curios to read up on it.

[teepeeat]

a silly question no doubt, but what stops the lichen from moving to the adjacent beech's - same species and habitat should surely make for very similar and therefore favourable growing conditions?

(clearly I know nothing about lichens )

[David Humphries]

a silly question no doubt, but what stops the lichen from moving to the adjacent beech's - same species and habitat should surely make for very similar and therefore favourable growing conditions?

(clearly I know nothing about lichens )

 

Fair question,

 

I'm not a lichenologist unfortunately but imagine its the age of the host (this one being around half a millenium) that is critical for the conditions required for this particular lichen.

 

The surrounding trees are young in comparison and do not provide the same growing environment .......yet

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Interesting video david. Its nice to see management over removal, do you have any info on the type of lichen? just curios to read up on it.

 

 

Its called Pyrenula nitida

 

http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/_speciespages/2554.pdf

 

http://www.dendrology.org/site/images/web4events/pdf/Tree%20info%20IDS_06_pp65_p67_Burnham.pdf

 

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