Arob

Quite a can of worms been opened up here, as has already been mentioned it seems a shame to hang on other poeples words and project them as though that might actually help, much better tested and tasted and either rejected or assimilated. On p7 Jason says "I think motivation is a useful question to level at any two sides of an argument." This is a vital and valid point, consider what treesurfer says on p2 of this thread "OK, so man may be contributing to the warming of the earth but it's nothing new. Mankind, animals and trees will need to adapt or die." Now I am not personalising this, it is not directed towards treesurfer (and as Dean has pointed out elsewhere the written word is open to misinterpretation) but to all who are genuinely interested; are we really wanting to discover something new? To learn about this, or are we, perhaps dismissively, saying "it's nothing new" then "mankind...will need to adapt or die" Are we really applying ourselves to this as if we believe that we truly must learn to "adapt or die"? Dagmar has posted quite a lot of info here but I believe that it is not contextualised within basic scientific fact to make it useful and this discredits her overall argument "Quote: Originally Posted by Mr Ed Not consuming is definately the best policy. But recycling what we do use is the next best thing... {Dagmar's reply] "Can you give this statement more substance?" Please allow me to provide the required substance; its the Law of Thermodynamics, a fundamental Law of Physics. The First Law of Thermodynamics tells us that energy cannot be created or destroyed. So if we cut a tree down we still have logs, brash and sawdust. The Second Law of Thrmodynamics tells us that entropy is at work; that (in a closed system) energy moves from states of greater to lesser availability. So having cut the tree down we can't put it back together; as any wise cracking customer knows This is what informs us of the hierarchy represented by the 3R's of Waste Management (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle - sing-a-long Jack Johnson) and answers Dagmars question. Now going from there to what Tom D says on p1 "One interesting fact regarding sustainable fuels; in one year we burn 300 years worth of fossil fuels: ie it took 300 years to lay down one years worth of oil and coal." When we consider the Laws of Thermodynamics we must remember that the Earth does not operate within a closed system, we get energy inputs from the sun (solar energy), this is our basic allowance (speaking as life on earth not as a mammal or a human or as a human or any sub-section of humanity). And as Tom points out, we are massively exceeding allowance. As has also been pointed out in the thread we humans sit at the top of the pyramid, but we are inherently dependent upon a range of other life forms (which may be more, or less basic, than ourselves) for our survival. The evolutionary process is a long one and we are new-comers to this party and would do well to respect our fellow attendees and benefactors. For this party hasn't happened just by chance but by the hard work of these benefactors; life has evolved and adapted. But life is forever changing and adapting, one reason that we explore the moon is because it is devoid of life, we know more about it than of the ancient forests of the earth because they are so incredibly complex. And this complexity is a great measure of evolution, complexity which has evolved over unimaginable time; this is a measure of natural wealth. This is why some people value biodiversity and it's what science tells us; you can have it backed up - from the quark upwards - by Murray Gell-Mann winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics. However, with our very young, naive society with its rudimentary economy we often don't treasure and value this. We have not yet developed the appreciation and subtlety, so rather than consider the many beneficial attributes of a rainforest, the potentials which may exist are sacrificed for a quick buck, it's logged, or cut and burnt to allow mining or ranching, soils which supported vast storehouses of complexity, the diamonds of life formed over unimaginable time, are exhausted within four or five years. Some people say that this is development, or that it creates jobs, or whatever. Look at the lessons learnt by Forester Jack Westoby. The same applies at home, with different levels of biological complexity. Our economic system is rudimentary, it is up to us to apply common sense, we don't have to be provocative or reactionary and become polarised and entrenched in opposition, instead just see sense and make use of our education, of that which we understand; "One example is our lass came home yesterday with a plastic bag with chopped onions in it, how f@@@@ lazy can you be!! Buy a bleeding fresh onion, no wrapper and chop the blinking thing ya sen." Why aren't growing your own onions Dean? Instead of picking on your poor lass like that! Common sense isn't so common, we de-value others at our peril; that's the problem. And whether you think climate change is man made or not is unimportant!

Hi Giles, it's http://www.arbtalk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=957 enjoy!

Sorry posted too soon, have now seen follow up thread.

Just reading through old posts, and am wondering what happened next...

I stand corrected, thanks David Is the exudate a major clue to IDing this one? Just answered this myself looking at monkeyd's reply to vdubens ganoderma???? thread - though have to say those and other pics I've just seen have sall spots coming from pores, whereas the pics above look like egg wash baked on pies (if you know what I mean), is this because it is immature?

I would like a guess at this and suggest Beefsteak Fungus Fistulina Hepatica See bottom of p1 of Monkeyd's 'Strategies of Fungal Decay' thread. I have double checked against ID book but have to say that this is still only a guess.

Thanks David, was a bit unsure if you were joking. I hope you didn't have to dig that hole by hand!

Thanks again Tony, boletus isn't detrimental either; you've put my mind at ease .

Thanks Marc. (Didn't express myself very clearly, I meant if it does need to be dealt with maybe better to do so before grinding.) One of the guys who came to quote said he wouldn't let us keep any of the chip as it may pose a risk of spreading the fungus, I was surprised but thought he must have a very specific disposal option, he said he would take to the council site. Seemed to me that it would then be sold as chip; very unlikely to be composted?! I didn't argue about it

Ah, thanks Tony! Just bought my first tub of mycorrhiza and used for the first time yesterday when planting a Birch! Didn't even occur that it could've been that Do you know about the Boletus? Unlike the Russula its associated with a tree showing signs of decline and could do some damage if it goes (is within striking distance of bungalow and a row of garages and a well used private road. Also can you reccommend a decent book, I've got 'Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe' which has a good key, but there's no mention of associations with Trees. Thanks again.

Have ID'd two fungi around the bottom of two trees and wonder if they are attacking the roots, perhaps the most threatening is at the bottom of a lime which is dying back and becoming stag-headed and has been shedding small branches and twigs in winds over the past year or two (suspect original damage may be from development - site is around a decade old, road is a foot to a foot and a half lower than the base of the tree, and comes within a couple of metres of one side of the tree) Also lots of epicormics (I know it's a lime), but there are a lot of epicormics. Have ID'd fungi as Boletus felleus Bulliard ex Fries (aka Bitter Bolete or Sponge Cap) and am pretty confident in that ID. I first noticed fruiting bodies in spring, more have occurred just recently, and one is right up against the base of the tree. I haven't got a good book on tree decay fungi - I checked Strouts and Winter but it's not in there, so maybe it's not a decayer, or maybe it's because Strouts and Winter are just covering main fungi, I don't know; can anyone advise on this fungus? The second fungi, may be less significant, it's around a young maturing birch and is Russula delica Fries (aka Milk-white Russula) again cannot see in Strouts and Winter. Thanks, Ali

Seriously? Likely to be grinding the stump out some time over the next few months, I say grinding, not sure what resistance there'll be. We had a couple of guys out to check this out and quote for the work (before I started up at college) neither mentioned getting rid of the fungus, thankfully there aren't any other Beech trees around (I believe they're the most susceptible) though there are a few large mature Sycamores and Ash trees.

Are they very penetrating then; what have you seen them go into/ under? Cheers.

http://www.arbtalk.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6074&stc=1&d=1219525403 This led to the end for this 80 or so year old Beech which had been gradually been dying back over a decade or so, when all of a sudden two massive fruiting bodies popped out. Two years on the stump, which was left, is almost totally covered by multiple fruiting bodies.

Nice one, thanks Peter. In the second picture they've come away again quite well, I thought it was probably too late to produce a multi-stemmed tree but maybe not...another options develops...

Thanks, the tree concerned in the OP doesn't appear to have been touched, two thirds of the way up is what can only be described as 'a leader in waiting', I explained that I could reduce to there, but that we'd be back to square one within a couple of years. As I'm fairly new to this and I am a little cautious in offering advice so said I would have a read around to check my assumptions and that's why I posted on this forum to get the view of those with more experience. I guess from their point of view they have an atractive tree which perhaps they were expecting to retain. There may be other issues beyond this which I'm not aware of but that's aboutt he top and bottom. I still wonder what a pollarded euc would look like? Thanks for your replies.

Notice this is a subscription based venture...

Just did a light prune on a smaller Euc and was surprised how easily the bark tore. Shaped it as customer wants form and colour for over winter but would like to coppice in the spring, it's planted about 8' from back door!

Thanks lads, think i'll advise and let the customer decide. The tree's a bit close to the house and a so birch may not be much better, lets hope if i am asked to coppice it that it does pull through

Hello, just new to forum and looking for advice. Have searched prior to posting but could find no mention of pruning eucs, have been asked to reduce (presumably E. Gunnii, though not sure) which is fairly young and whippy but getting quite high (approx 30ft). Given the form of the tree I doubt it can be controlled without lots of regular intervention (i.e. if I take the leader it'll quickly be replaced and will have to do again and again) have also read that regrowth is very weak and breaks off easily. Have had a good search and read around and most verdicts are to cut back when young to produce a multi-stemmed tree (perhaps a bit too late for that now), or coppice or pollard, all of which is a bit drastic but I guess its a case of right plant right place? Can anyone advise of their experiences pruning eucs? Thanks.