Bundle 2

Perhaps you need to reflect on your own sense of H& S.....no footpath closure(?)..leaving site with inexperienced muppets swinging chainsaws...none too clever either on the face of it imo.....Granted, he seems a bit dull to not notice the lack of truck but you didnt fire him for being congenitally stupid did you? You took him on.....you gotta give him a fair go!

Although it has been over a decade that I visited in Humboldt County, it is an area of unique and memorable experiences..not least seeing the giant redwoods in their natural habitat.....truly awesome!

The idea it seems is to provide some internal volume/structure to prevent "shell buckling" as described by Mattheck et al leading to what has been described as "hosepipe " type failure....( Lonsdale refers to elder and the mech structure being 1/3 woody epiderm and pith core of 2/3 ( ie, foam ) citing the occurence in nature of the model.)

QTRA is very much target based. Mike himself says, and quite rightly, no target, no problem! It is a numerically based calculation of probability. It is not a necessarily "arborist" lead approach to tree risk quantification and works on a multiplication of data....

30-40% dieback in the crown indicates considerable ( not insignificant) vascular dysfunction and would rightly be cause for concern imo. Notwithstanding, the opinion on merip seems substantially compounded by cases of failure with little or no evidence of disease. This is what is wrong with the current view of the fungus' lifecycle and true nature. 30-40% dieback is a tree under duress, weakened and relying on energy reserves stored in the sapwood and roots. Under duress and significant attack as the vitality aswell as vigor is spent and working at the very limit. There can be little real reaction from the tree, the laying down of new, mechanically stategic woody material in order to compensate for loss of structural strength, or for that matter, codit defences to made effective. It requires alot of enrgy from the tree. Energy that is imo, compromised and at a premium at this stage. this is where so much of the contradictions and frankly, unimformed opinion/management originates. Not all of which I hasten to add is the result poor management....I believe the lack of data on the fungus has its influence aswell. Statistics are being incorrectly summarised by virtue of their scant nature.....(?)

I have been trialing beta 3 firefox for at least 10 months now...never had a problem. seems stable and operates seemlessly ime.

The management issues are oftentimes by their very nature complex, involved and associated....I am not going to do the work for you but hope that you can find the attached pdf of some value....its all the more interesting anyway if you can afford the time to read and reach your own conclusions imo. Additional reading that is both current and specific to Ganoderma spp can be found in Schwarze new publication also.....try doing a search " Francis MWR Schwarze...." I need to look up the title to be honest but Treesource list it a available http://www.treesource.co.uk/acatalog/ I hope this helps.....

Spot on mate...and it will last about 6 months...read the manu spec for this one.....

Looks like syccy to me also..... The fruit bodies of Kretzschmaria are quite discreet and perhaps easily overlooked...appearing in clefts between butresses and perhaps covered by grass as was said above, usually low on the stem ( the decay can affect upto 4m up the stem however) As they spread to form a stroma as big as 50cms...They will also appear on dead woody material.... It has two forms, perfect form ( sexual & black) and a second manifestation, asexual or "imperfect" which is often greyish turning yellowish/whitish and becoming powdery..... Looks like it to me but would concur that online id is often quite misleading for various reasons....hope this helps.

There were a number of issues put forward at the seminar...presented not as fact but as possible causes for complex interactions and environmental factors that MAY effect merrip. Is merrip a composter...is it held in check by virtue of its being only weakly competitive.....Does it infact only take advantage of decayed roots as the tree sheds skin and grows so to speak? You cannot hope to diagnose a tree and present a credible prognosis without first considering the whole raft of contributing factors....and imo, I think you are doing no-one any favors by repeating the age old cliche of merrip = saw... in the example posted ( beech over river ) the rooting depth is likely very shallow ( river bed) They only exist on one side. they are likely struggling with anaerobic conditions. they look compacted....It can never be as cut and dried as is being suggested ( by some )....... Perhaps the most interesting point/possibility, for me anyway, from yesterdays seminar was the possibility of finding a chemical marker that could be introduced to the trees lifesystems that would show the presence of merrip, beyond doubt. I would say if it can be shown that many trees successfully live and die with merrip, the attitudes and importantly, reputation of meripilus may at last change.

Its all good I reckon........ Meripilusmonograph.pdf

if u can check the wood....poss stained where fruit bodies emerge.....( prob green )?

I would assume that this is also the case for the root system aswell...I wonder whether the first pic , first post is an oldieworldy record of the situation in years gone by? To reiterate the point in answer to Peter, I too believe that quite modest reductions and light thins will have a significant effect on the tree crowns stability....which is well worth exploiting in a situation like this as a staged, retrenchment process is desirable for physiological reasons whilst having the result of altering apical dominance and hopefully promoting a secondary crown generation....The overall weight distribution quite possibly very relevant depending on the root systems history?? Nice work....

lol....

Image taken whilst in India ( in the christian/portugese influenced Goa) Indian Bean tree- Catalpa bignonoides......

The Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000 does however introduce the notion of "reckless " as it relates to the destruction of habitat....again, the owness would it appears to be on the arborist to satisfy any query as to the legal implications....not strictly TPO but not necessarily outside of its scope....

I was interested to know why old utilities need be excavated and so the nature of them ( pipes..cable whu ) It would compliment the reading I am currently involved in... You are making alot of assumptions there mate...I guess you lost your sense of humour afterall...or just trying to get even cos I said the wrong thing and upset your royalness!!!?

Oh thats why!!

Read the treebuzz board too if you want a laugh!! http://www.buckinghammfg.com/

Yes there is...Pholiota aurivella ( Golden scalycap)

Velvet shank.