ScottF

Yes, the ones I've seen come over with visual signs of Kd the rootplate was "clean", with flimy black decayed ends, rather than the soil-covered, torn-out roots from a more conventional windblow. Well put.

That's partly why these forums are so useful. I'll take another pic of the stump tomorrow. S

Ground disturbance is the first thing I look for when a tree's not looking well or has assumed the horizontal. Even patching in nearby hard standings can be indicative of possible root disturbance. As would signs of very wet ground, where indicator plants intolerant of such conditions are seen suggesting novel or occasional rather than persistent waterlogging which the tree might have adapted to. Or signs of compaction for that matter. In summary, it's very often that a human has done something to the roots that's gotten the ball rolling.

I think separating out the primary and secondary agencies in the tricky bit, Dave. When a tree's in a bad enough way for it to fail, I generally observe more than one agent present. When you have a syndrome of a number of potential pathogens in a tree, whose to say which is going to be the straw that broke the camel's back? I looked at a beech the other week (which I have to go back and PiCUS, which is showing early Kd, Meripilus (a rare local case) and a young Ganoderma. If it were to go over, could we be 100% sure which one did it? I don't know. With respect to the spalting, I condemned a sycamore literally within falling distance of my humble office which was riddled with Kd and the spalting went all the way up the first break at about 8 metres. The stumps's still there, so I could post an image of it. I must admit, it was a very advanced case, with obvious fruiting bodies up above head height. In terms of beech with full root plate failure as was shown in these images, I have certainly seen a good number, beech and sycamore (less so) around here where the key visible causal agent was Kd, with fruiting bodies being seen and the remaining roots being a mess of filmy sheets of black chitin. Like you suggest the Kd could be working either saprophytically, or maybe in a syndrome with other fungi for which direct evidence wasn't visible. It could be that they fail earlier in the decay process here because it's extremely windy. Who knows? I've always found the literature on tree failure pretty patchy, vague, often contradictory and frequently prone to generalisation. One of the better sources I'd go to, David Lonsdale, reckons the following: Extract from ‘Principles of tree hazard assessment and management’ by David Lonsdale 1999: “….K.deusta induces a brittle ceramic-like fracture. This can occur in main stems or root systems, since the fungus is exceptional amongst ascomycetes in being able to grow in the central wood of very large trees. Fracture often occurs before an advanced white-rot has developed, so that the fracture surface can be quite hard. The seat of the decay within the tree is usually at the stem base, where in some cases the fungus appears to have entered through a wound. In such cases, it can extend 4m or more up the stem, as well as into the roots. It can also enter via the roots, eventually causing windthrow. This is a particularly dangerous decay fungus, partly because its fruit bodies are often overlooked, also because of its very common occurrence and wide host range, and finally because of the type of decay that it causes. The brittle fracture associated with this decay often occurs with no warning of incipient failure, and without the compensatory thickening that can occur with fungi which cause selective delignification (e.g. Ganoderma spp.). Except in very advanced cases, this decay cannot be detected with a stress wave timer and may also escape detection by certain kinds of mechanical probe.”

Where was the first picture taken on the tree?

Both, but far more often in the roots. I can think of literally dozens of instances I've recorded over the last 10-12 years where this has been the case. What I would say is that I also often see it as a "syndrome" with other things, like honey fungus, for instance.

Certainly looks consistent with other beech I've seen failed with extensive K. deusta in evidence. The spalting looks fairly consistent with my observations on beech failed and felled with K deusta as well. It's a principal cause of failure in beech down here; I only rarely see Meripilus locally, but far more to the East. Any snotty black mess around the buttresses B2T?

I reckon K. deusta helped do for this one.

Ditto what Paul said. Good knowledge.

Thanks. I just dropped Liam an email, actually. I do realise the course is basic (truth in advertising) but as I've said, it's increasingly specified on tenders as a minimum for surveyors. The two guys I have in mind are just starting out in surveying, so I think the PTI might be a bit much initially. Perhaps there's a gap in the market for an introductory surveying course for arborists, aimed somewhere between both of the above?

Hmm, point taken, Tony. I mean the LANTRA basic tree inspection course. I've seen on the LANTRA site there are plenty of providers around, so I guess what I'm after is a testimonial from someone who's attended the one-day somewhere and rated it.

If the application came in through 1APP and trees were not as an issue then the application would require a Tree Survey of some kind. If the LA had the resources they might send out their TO who might spot an offsite tree likely to be affected and raise it as an issue. It's good to pre-empt these things and look like you know what you're doing. That said, a lot of LA's don't have the resources (in fact, increasing numbers of LA's don't even have TO's), and/or they don't have a particular interest in trees. The coverage from LA to LA is so variable these days it's hard to know what to advise. If I had to be brutally honest with some councils I would I would have to say to clients that it's pointless paying for an arb survey since the LA won't read it so just do what you like. Not naming names or owt, though. Hmm, rant over.

Can anyone recommend a good basic tree inspection course? Ideally in the North (Manchester, Liverpool), but could travel if needed for the right course. I have two new surveyors to train, and tenders are increasingly specifying the basic course along with a more general arb qualification. I'd be particularly grateful for feedback from pepole who have actually attended the course(s) in question and could offer some feedback. Thanks in advance.

Breasts vary from country to country, I'll think you'll find, with ornamental trees having the highest breasts of the lot: Diameter at breast height - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Good on ya, mate.

In terms of GPS it tends to be very accurate until you get anywhere near a tree, or worse, a group of trees. You could offset this by using a laser to ping the stem from a position away from the crown, but the lasers are not cheap (£1,300+) and require a bluetooth-enabled device or wires. Have you tried Arbortrail?

Q1: I always pick up neighbouring trees whose RPAs are likely to be affected by development works, since it can lead to issues of liability or just bad feeling down the line if the tree declines. This sometimes requires estimation of DBH there are issues of access or where the client has asked that development plans be kept confidential until submitted. Q2: If the client wants to keep a "compromised" tree it is up to them, but if you feel the tree is likely to become unstable or pose a risk, then you should offer your professional opinion to that effect.

Do you need to use GPS, Steve? What software are you going to use to produce your plans?

"Actung- Minen!" in hammy, WWII war film German-gothic writing with a skull and crossbones underneath? Even that probably wouldn't work....

BS5837 prescribes a figure of 12x stem diameter at 1.5 above the ground, but it really is a rule of thumb. As Andy points out you should consider all the on-site factors that are visible and factor those in. Was of the more important ones I consider is the age-class of the tree, so I'd allow for disturbance closer to a young tree than an old one; not because the rooting area of a young tree is necessarily smaller, but rather because older trees don't recover from damage as readily.

Decision notices are generally published with all conditions and any timescales associated with them. I'd be asking the client if they actually have full consent before going any further meself...

The spurs on the leaves are irregular and don't appear on every leaf, like Ailanthus and stuff. Might be Catalpa speciosa rather than C. bignonoides .

Baffled by the lime. Could it be a foliar disease? Mad one. That one down as a Pawlonia is a Catalpa.

Looks like the cultivated variety Sorbus thibetica 'John Mitchell' to me- lovely downy light leaves and compact crown. Lovely tree either way at this time of year.

I'd check with the ISA first, but I think there may be an element of practical experience required prior to sitting the exam (which is a written exam; there is no management element as in some UK exams). As a UK arborist the ISA cert arb wouldn't be my first choice for a first cert (although I think it is worth doing). Have you looked at doing the RFS cert arb? RFS Certificate in Arboriculture | RFS