The Meripilus thread!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Oh no! they cried not another fungi thread by hama!

 

Thanks to Mr Humphries mention of this in another thread i went looking and found this rather interesting doc on the much meligned Meripilus. A valid thread given the current theme amougst AT posters of this fungus.

 

http://www.flac.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Monograph-on-Meripilus-giganteus.pdf

 

I have to go along with his view, as I too have noted two (I be so bold as to even claim the potential of a third form) different forms, as youll see in the following photographs.

 

I am also with him on the potential of reduction work to fagus infected with Meripilus, after all this action is in keeping with what we now know about a trees retrenchment and self recycling life cycle which includes fungal prosceses. The trees have after all existed with fungi since the begining, co evolutionary relationships.

 

One day we will understand these things a lot better, but for now all we can do is keep trying to de mystify them, in the short term given the nature of the beast, probably wouldnt want an infected tree next to my house, but praying for an alternative option to felling.

 

Host and cell type affect the mode of degradation by Meripilus giganteus

 

http://modernarb.com/assets/media/Seeing%20Is%20Believing.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[sean]

keep the fungi threads coming i say!

[MattyF]

some nice pics .... any of the crown on the standing trees???

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

some nice pics .... any of the crown on the standing trees???

 

Yep, keep your eye on the thread some gooduns coming in.

[MattyF]

exellent! looking forward to them.

[scotspine1]

I am also with him on the potential of reduction work to fagus infected with Meripilus

 

Yep, me too.....reduced to a stump

[David Humphries]

Yep, me too.....reduced to a stump

 

 

Like the way you're taking into account the habitat value to Stag beetle larvae, Tim

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

This is a very mature beech, dual decay by Meripilus and G. pfiefferi.

 

Note the root flare, compensation and "traffic cone" form increasing stability.

 

The reduction works have resulted in a lot of regrowth from the inner crown, and making it more than possible to retrench this tree further.

 

Meripilus is cleary managable in some cases, and it would have been a sad day if this old beech was felled, she is truly a specimen.

 

 

 

 

 

[David Humphries]

What a cracking Tree, who's managing it Tony?

 

 

Any grafting in the canopy?

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Note the fruit body of meripilus in the included region, failure due to dysfunction and fork attachment meripilus living as a saprobe, but possibly facilitating the failure "facaltive"

note fruit bodies of meripilus, also fibre buckle at fracture points.

This failure was not instigated by the meripilus, at least not fully.

As you can see butt rot via Armillaria sp was the major player. heavy public (compaction) and urea from dogs all playing a part in this case me thinks.

Root plate compensation "traffic cone" form due to meripilus.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad