Funky buckling on beech

[Tilia]

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this wood pattern on a mature beech?

 

It's on one tree out of a line of 16, no visible fruiting bodies of anything, and nothing really wrong with the crown at all. In fact that's the only thing that stood out!

 

The only similar thing I can find is on p103 of The Updated Field Guide to VTA, there's a picture of a conifer with similar bulgewood. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

[se7enthdevil]

i'd hate to see that go for fire wood, i don't think that there is any fungi involved in that as it's just very figured wood underneath i think...

 

i might be wrong but i've seen a few trees with figure in the bark and they are gust figured timber.

[treeseer]

Past threads here on this 'braided reaction wood'. Cassian's piece on eucs; http://www.naturaculture.com.au/sites/naturaculture.sites.go1.com.au/files/Specialised%20Self%20Optimisation%20of%20Gum%20Trees%20-%20Braided%20Reaction%20Wood.....pdf

 

A US beech story attached

washboard cassian poles.pdf

Detective Dendro - The Case of the Wonderous Washboard.pdf

[Tilia]

i'd hate to see that go for fire wood

 

Me too mate! No way I'd recommend a fell, I'm more just interested into what's going on.

 

So if the article on Eucalypts is correct, it's reaction wood on both the tension and the compression side... how? Can anyone elucidate further?

[PC tree]

I've heard it can be caused through stress, periods of drought etc?? Just I've been told, seen a few beech trees with it, they look spectacular too!

[MATTMOSS]

Me too mate! No way I'd recommend a fell, I'm more just interested into what's going on.

 

So if the article on Eucalypts is correct, it's reaction wood on both the tension and the compression side... how? Can anyone elucidate further?

 

Interesting, it look as though the tree has added these ribs of strength, maybe as it has been subjected to new forces of wind?

[Theocus]

That looks like fibre buckling to me, think mr Matheck even has an illustrative image which is very similar to it in the VTA handbook. Seen it many times, looks cool but as I understand nothing into worry about.

[treeseer]

Agreee nothing to worry about. the Dendro article tried (but failed:blushing:) to bust the myth that compression/tension wood was an either/or kind of thing.

 

It's all reaction wood, and when you really think about it, all wood is reaction wood (quoting researcher Frank Telewski).