David Humphries

Hello Mark, secondary clonisations by saprophytic fungi (like Pleurotus sp) are very common on wood volumes that are infected by a primary agent like Kretz. But unless the subject tree is in a woodland or away from significant targets the overlapping successional species are seldom seen by Arbs as the risk averse nature of tree ownership and management usually means that the ‘hazard’ is removed.

Great shots and nice variety, new forest is a rich landscape for fungi.

Need to see images of gills and stem really.

The chips are plastic coated and designed with an operating life of over twenty years. Will be interesting to see how many of the 900 are still operating.

They're all called David ! Well they are 'my' trees after all

During a survey of our sites veteran trees in 2007 we trialled the use of microchips as a means of identifying the trees without the need to have a metal tag showing. Basicaly we used pet microchips that were inserted about three centimetres into the sapwood on the northern side of the trunks @ 1.5m height. There were concerns that over time the microchips wouldn't be effective due to interference by birds (on the first trial a woodpecker had obviously detected the tiny hole and sensed the chips presence as one had been pecked out) and also by the expanding annual ring growth and by compressive forces. We're currently resurveying the veteran trees and have been pleased to find that 10 years on the microchips are still emitting their signal so we can pick up their unique identification numbers.

Was it a red chestnut, Aesculus x carnea ? if it was, they are prone to burrs on the trunk, main scaffolds and lesser branches. presumably due to being a hybrid. .

Great article Andrew, nice mix and choice of species to highlight and overview.

No idea, never been to Arizona, think I'm probably banned from the State I have seen our native ash and other species do this though, expect it was initiated by a mechanical wound earlier in its life where cell division at the callus tissue has formed into roots.

Inosculated aerial roots on this Arizona ash, Fraxinus velutina var loumeyi at Kew Gardens. Couple of images taken 5 years apart. First one was taken in May 2012 and the second image taken today by Ted Green. Some secondary growth thickening in evidence but not as much as one would expect, even the wound wood on the pruning wound is relatively limited in terms of occlusion. Perhaps a good mulching to improve the rooting environment and keep those over enthusiastic snappers a bit further away

Ganoderma sp, probably G. australe

Another red oak with evidence of a basal colonisation (this time) of Pholiota squarrosa We've carried out micro-drill readings and sounding with a nylon hammer which indicates that the (now) forming semi autonomous units (root/buttress units) are currently vascular & sound enough to retain the tree. This one has a very good Potential Roost Feature (PRF) in the trunk. Canopy has been reduced up to 2m to lessen the wind load on the sail. Rob Taylor/Dendrophile in the harness

Bit of a head scratcher to make this one safe. Ali Nicoll in the harness...........

Aw shucks, you got me all embarrassed like Don't know about this science business, observational backbone perhaps. Anyhows, can one address me as Dr Humphries from now on please, I received a package from Oslo University this morning that say so.........so it must be true

Split leaning willow that we had reduce due to being with in falling distance of a property. Lower section of trunk has been retained standing, but the upper section had to go. Probable Laetiporus heart decay has been 'sounded out' by a woodpecker for a potential bit of future habitat.

Early autumnal drift in London, showing the difference between species as the floating leaves are from a red oak (out of shot) and the tree to the left, an English oak, which is way behind its American cousin

Great observation and images Mr ArmyBloke Think these are probably Armillaria sp though rather than Pleurotus sp, classic ring on the stem. Would be interesting to see how far the rhizomorphs have progressed under the bark. We were discussing this on a thread that Sloth put up recently.

They look like Chi Chi's, aerial roots sometimes found on stressed Ginko Pretty cool

The trees have awoken this morning and are staring back !

Veteranisation techniques, mimicking woody's on some of the stem, is all I'm saying, well that's what I'm sticking to

Loves a bit of Coronetting from ladders

Oddly I can now see them, think Graham is on to it. Gills look to be lilac-ish in these images, which is a good I'd feature for blewits.

Can't see any images

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hampshire-41794732/new-forest-champion-arboriculturist-talks-about-her-love-of-trees Short piece on Jo Hedger talking about comp climbing and life amongst the trees

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