Defects on beech

[jacquemontii]

Hi,

 

Anyone recognise this type of longitudinal wound, observed on a beech (a limited photograph from ground level only). Appearing from approx. 6m upwards, and on different sides of the trunk as you go further up the tree.

 

Wondering if its some type of cracking, caused by external shear stresses?

 

Appears to be occluding with reaction wood...

[openspaceman]

Hi,

 

Anyone recognise this type of longitudinal wound, observed on a beech (a limited photograph from ground level only). Appearing from approx. 6m upwards, and on different sides of the trunk as you go further up the tree.

 

Wondering if its some type of cracking, caused by external shear stresses?

 

Appears to be occluding with reaction wood...

 

With the fresh nibbling at the edges of the callous I'd say it was old squirrel damage. Otherwise I might have thought lightning.

[Chris at eden]

Lightening or squirrels is not a bad shout. Difficult to see what else would cause it at that height. Inspection outcome is probably the same though and dependent on target and how much you can see from the ground.

 

For the record the growth around the wound isn't reaction wood or callous, its wound wood.

 

Cheers

[Gary Prentice]

Does the tree have co-dominent stems higher up?

[jacquemontii]

Lightening or squirrels is not a bad shout. Difficult to see what else would cause it at that height. Inspection outcome is probably the same though and dependent on target and how much you can see from the ground.

 

For the record the growth around the wound isn't reaction wood or callous, its wound wood.

 

Cheers

 

Thanks chris, yes that should be wound wood, some lazy terminology on my part, I stand corrected!

 

It was difficult to see clearly from the ground, and unfortunately I have no further photos to demonstrate, but the wounds seemed to appear at separate intervals up the trunk. I was wondering if lightning damage would leave a continuous line?

[jacquemontii]

Does the tree have co-dominent stems higher up?

 

Not that I noticed (and it would be something I would normally look out for). I think the tree had one main leader, and it appeared to have a relatively narrow conic crown for a tree of this age (stem dia. approx. 800mm). Also had a small Ganoderma bracket at the base.

[openspaceman]

Lightening or squirrels is not a bad shout. Difficult to see what else would cause it at that height. Inspection outcome is probably the same though and dependent on target and how much you can see from the ground.

 

For the record the growth around the wound isn't reaction wood or callous, its wound wood.

 

Cheers

 

I was going to correct my spelling of callus just by way of lightening up.

 

I still don't quite see the distinction between reaction wood and wound wood, surely in trying to occlude the wound the tree is laying down reaction wood.

[Chris at eden]

I was going to correct my spelling of callus just by way of lightening up.

 

I still don't quite see the distinction between reaction wood and wound wood, surely in trying to occlude the wound the tree is laying down reaction wood.

 

They are different terms:

 

Reaction wood = is anatomically different wood which is laid down to reinforce areas which are over loaded such as the underside of a branch or leaning tree. Conifers lay down compression resistant reaction wood with lots of lignin on the underside of the lean. Sort of like a prop. Broadleaves lay down tension resistant wood on the upper side of the lean with lots of cellulose to sort of winch it up like a guy rope. Bit of a clumsy description but hope it makes sense. Ultimately it has a bio-mechanical function.

 

Wound wood = is produced in response to wounding and is made up primarily of parenchyma cells which are pumped full of phenolic chemicals which as we all know are extremely toxic to micro-organisms. It function is to prevent infection mainly. It is also apparently self replicating similar to cambium although I don't have a reference for this other than Dave Dowson - good enough for me though. If the wound resulted in extra loading you may get reaction wood in there also but Shigo describes that as wound wood.

 

Callus = is the growth you get on a cutting and is the point of root or shoot initiation, ultimately made up of cambium. The important distinction is that callus is undifferentiated whereas wound wood and reaction wood are both differentiated.

 

Cheers