David Humphries

Fuligo septica looking a bit like the face of Papa Lazarou .

gotta love them Epping pollards .

just noticed this example of the red banded polypore (Fomitopsis pinicola) from my files from the same Bialowieza trip, this one Mr Fay snapped Looks quite like Ganoderma lucidum .

nice examples of artichoke galls Darrin (caused by Andricus fecundator I believe) Were they all over the tree? .

Nah, it was a work gig type thing They make me go .

This years conference was held over two days at Gilwell Park and out amongst the thousands of oak, beech and hornbeam pollards that the City of London Corporation manage/conserve at the Open Space of Epping Forest Stunning old trees [ATTACH]222506[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]222507[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]222508[/ATTACH] Great speakers from the UK and Europe ranging in topic across biosecurity, soil health, veteran tree management techniques and biodiversity conservation. [ATTACH]222509[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]222510[/ATTACH] There was also the formal signing of a Concordat between the ATF and the City of London Corporation at Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge at a celebration to mark 800 years of the Forest Charter https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-forest-charter-of-1225 [ATTACH]222511[/ATTACH] More than anything it continues to be a fantastic opportunity to meet up with like minded people and speak with the great thinkers and ancient tree experts like David Lonsdale, Neville Fay, Ted Green, Helen Read, Jeremy Dagley, Jaroslav Kolarik, Lynn Boddy and many others. Who We Are | Ancient Tree Forum [ATTACH]222512[/ATTACH] .

Last two look like Coprinellus disseminatus (fairy ink cap) & a dried out Tremella mesenterica. .

Great shot Mario, says what it is on the tin. Man taking a step through a portal into a fantastical, mysterious and undiscovered woody world. .

Tomography or micro drill could probably pick up on a longitudinal split caused by a lightning strike by ascertaining whether the tree has a delaminated trunk across the section where its tested. and at a more basic level the use of a nylon hammer may be able to pick up on a change in resinance from a split .

Can be both in my experience. Possibly depends on power of the strike, species and whether there is already an internal fault within the wood. The small patch on the other side of your pine trunk may indicate that the extent of damage has gone through the trunk at that point. The oak in post 2 of this old thread suffered a significant strike which blew a couple of meters off the top of the tree but the heart of the trunk didn't fracture. Whereas I've seen pops and ash that have split through the core longitudinally http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/fungi-pictures/38875-lightning-damage-fungi.html .

Good post Jules:thumbup1: .

Nice one Stubby .

I'd imagine the black residue is likely to be a symptom of a bark inclusion (which is possibly the primary reason for failure as it indicates a biomechanical weakness) and the staining is probably just where water and air have ingress into the gap between that union. .

Very nice indeed .

Yep, rigi Any plans for the tree? .

White spore on the ivy leaf to the right of the fruitbody rules out any of the Ganoderma species so I'd lean more toward Perenniporia. .

Not enough info but would split my money between Perenniporia fraxinea and Ganoderma resinaceum. If on roots like it appears, I'd put more of that money on the former. Edit; any ash in the vicinity? .

Appreciate you keeping us updated on the situation sean. Out of interest is there Massaria on the plane trees in Bristol? If there is, I suspect it's possibly quite low in occurrence due to the previous regular pollarding, but that would change significantly if the trees become lapsed and develop larger older wood canopies where Massaria thrives. The potential risk of dead Massaria branches not being picked up via inspection and dropping on to target areas would likely increase significantly. What's the geology in Bristol? Is there much cley around the streets? If there is, the council will not just get an increase in claims due to direct root damage to property but there will be an increase in claims due to subsidence. ofcourse there would be a small positive in the increase of shade due to larger canopies (particularly in terms of urban heat island effect) but doesn't sound like the tree stock could sustain that benefit for long. Frustrating to hear of the shortsightedness of this decision. .

For sure, appreciate that Gary .

Good to hear that some people find it interesting and potentially of some use. Sharing and stimulating debate is what's best about Arbtalk. .

Hi Jules, we've generally found one (G. resinaceum) to be more aggressive than the other when both in the same host, but like Kevin has stated it probably is dependent to some extent on tree species. Did you see the below post on the decay image thread (post 333) from earlier this year, I think Gary did. http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/19533-decay-images-34.html

Yes Jules .

Ganoderma australe and Ganoderma resinaceum on pendunculate oak with pronounced buttressing. [ATTACH]222170[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]222171[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]222172[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]222173[/ATTACH].

Like over sized cladaptosis, with massive abscission pads? I think I've witnessed both failure points Gary and believe it may have to do (partly) with species characteristics. .

Nothing significant in the sapwood and the heart is just old discoloured dysfunctional core wood. Both wood regions are very dry This was a lower inner canopy limb on the opposite side and not exposed to the predominant wind load. .