Fungus

Rob, :confused1: Then there must have been tree species associated with ectomycorrhizal macrofungi present with their roots in the vicinity of this pseudoplatanus, because Acer has endomycorrhizal, a-sexually underground reproducing microfungi as symbiotic partners .

Correct, protected by German law, but you can get a permit to move or have moved the nest to another location if the nest is (too) close to your house or in intensively used or visited parts of your vegetable or flower garden. I once had a nest in my Eifel "garden" awfully close to my compost heap, so I moved it, with license, to the far end of my property, so they could still visit the fermentating gooseberries at the back of my house, which they - also being a bit of a sweet tooth - by the way do. It was quite funny watching them eat, getting a bit drunk and being rather clumsy and loud in the return flight to the nest. Speaking of wasps, has this rather friendly , but impressive looking French field wasp, which regularly visits the flowers of the Yucca and the shallow margins of the pond in my Dutch backyard, already crossed the Canal and reached the U.K. ? ---

The answer to your question is the same as the answer I posted on Tony's question on the first time prolific fruiting of Suillus grevillei with an old Larix. And a bit of information on the "dynamics" of Amanita muscaria, a cosmopolitan symbiont of decideous and coniferous trees, which recently was found fruiting as a partner of eucalypts in Portugal and is also known as a symbiont of Nothofagus in Australia. Some fifteen to twenty years ago, in The Netherlands the Fly Agaric only was found living with Betula, Picea and (young) Pinus. Since the ammonia (NOy/NOx) deposition in my country came to its peak levels, the ground water level was lowered and the further acidification of spruce forests took place, much of the birches died, which made one partner of A. muscaria less available and on top of that, the Fly Agaric also fled from the spruce forests. Meanwhile, as a result of the first mentioned factor, the mycelia (ectomycorrhizae) of Amanita phalloides and A. citrina withdrew from the roots of Quercus and Fagus, their regular symbiotic partners. Being left "bare" and unprotected, the roots then accepted the hyphae of Amanita muscaria, a close relative of the other two Amanita's, to form ectomycorrhizae around them. Nowadays one can find prolific fruiting of the Fly Agaric as partner of oaks and beeches in verges alongside secundary roads, which are (still) in good condition and can afford sharing much of their self-produced energy with this mushroom. And while being on the move, the Fly Agaric also succeeded in colonizing the roots of Populus, Carpinus and Tilia. ---

Or in determining the size of the cavity, sticking your hand up a hornet's nest in a hollow beech . And here's a photo of a hornet as "lord of the flies" licking the acid foam secreted by the with rhizomorphs of a Honey Fungus invaded cambium of a pendunculate oak. ---

Tony, On the subject of natural (ecto)mycorrhizae you will not find an illustrated textbook including and/or summarizing the total of information, which mainly has been publiced in articles on European forest ecology in mycological and/or ecological scientific magazines. Books on macrofungi with microscopical information, I recommend, are the following : - Agaricales : Volumes 1-6 of Flora Agaricina Neerlandica (in English, with drawings) and volumes 3-6 of Pilze der Schweiz by Breitenbach & Kränzlin (in German, with photo's and drawings). - Aphyllophorales : Volume 2 of Pilze der Schweiz (photo's), volumes 1-2 of European Polyporales by Ryvarden & Gilbertson and volumes of Nordic Macromycetes. - Ascomycetes : Volume 1 of Pilze der Schweiz (photo's) and volumes of Nordic Macromycetes. You do have to realize however, that one can not generalize the ecological and habitat or substrate information given in those books, just as in my encyclopaedia and on my CD-rom, to the U.K. or the rest of Europe. ---

Information on the natural soil food web of trees and forests can be found under : Soil food web. ---

To all, Information on the natural soil food web of trees and forests can be found under : Soil food web. ---

To give an impression of the richness and complexity of natural tree species specific soil wood webs, the following example. A handful of forest floor soil contains, apart from the roots of plants or trees and dead organic matter, 1.000 billion bacteria, 500 billion flagellates, 100 billion amoeba's, a couple of billions of below surface a-sexually reproducing microfungi, the mycelia and ectomycorrhizae of one billion macrofungi, a few million of ciliata and about one million of soil algae. On top of that, large numbers of worms, nematodes and insects are present, which apart from or together and/or in cooperation with the above mentioned organisms recycle organic materials in a given order or succession. Together with the mainly or exclusively above the forest floor living organisms, they are part of the tree species specific ecosystems, responsible for the energy balace within the system and for keeping the food chain or recycling circle of the ecosystem of the tree and the forest closed and intact. The decomposition and recycling of the leaves of a Hazel takes about 6 month, of a Lime about 2 years, of a Beech about 3 years and of needles of indigenous coniferous trees about 4-5 years, heavily depending on the presence or absence of litter decomposing tree species specific saprotrophic macrofungi, such as Xylaria carpophila on capules of beech, Ciboria batschiana on blackened acorn halves, Marasmius androsaceus and Micromphale perforans on needles and coarse litter of spruce, Strobilurus tenacellus on buried fir cones and Auriscalpium vulgare on buried cones of pine. And an even more impressive number comes from the total presence of hyphal or mycelial tissue above and underground, including the mushrooms, toadstools and bracket fungi, which corresponds with two metric tons of fungal and mycelial mass (chitine) per person on earth.

Yes we should and without wanting to closely control the successive natural processes by implementing artificial or "alien" ingredients to their ecosystems, which are millions of years older then ours. Thinking about the hundreds of thousands of years it took to develop the as far as biodiversity richest European tree species specific ecosystem of Quercus robur and being forced to monitoring how the Dutch farmers with their EU-subsidized mais fields used for "bio fuel" and "treated" with neo-nicotine, which kills our pollinating honey bees, succeed in destroying most of it within 10-15 years, I can not emphasize enough what going to any lengths parasites we have become of the - not our - natural environment. ---

It's no theory, it's a well documented scientific fact. In producing species specific antibiotics and fungicides, with the species exclusively specialized on one or two tree species having the strongest "weapons", they are, and depending on the condition of the total tree species specific ecosystem (drought, poor or damaged soil food web by using heavy equipment, climate change, pollution, mechanically inflicted wounds on roots or trunk, etc.), they are more or less effective in the defense of the roots. And that is why loosing tree species specific symbionts and having to "live" on with less potent generalists, such as Paxillus involutus, is so detrimental to (the roots of) the tree. ---

Depending on the condition of the tree and the succession phase of its ecosystem, it either means that something is wrong, f.i. the roots are attacked by Phaeolus schweinitzii, Sparassis crispa or Heterobasidion annosum, of which the body language signs of the bark indicate its arrival long before the mycelium starts fruiting, which triggers the Larch bolete to invest in panic fruiting, or the prolific fruiting is a sign of the "wealth" of the tree, which because of its rich reserves can afford to give that much energy to its symbiotic partner. ---

Tony, There's much more to be said of the "communication" by Paxillus involutus on the "state of the union" of trees and ectomycorrhizal macrofungi. If "middle aged" trees are accompanied by it, it often is a sign of acidification, changing the order of presence or absence of symbiotic macrofungi into dominance of acid tolerant species and disappearance of acid intolerant species. The Rollrim is then accompanied by Boletus badius, B. chrysenteron and/or Russula ochroleuca and on the thick layer of leaf or needle, twigs and fruits litter you will find Macrolepiota rachodes, Clitocybe nebularis, Collybia maculata and/or Lepista flaccida. The presence of P. involutus in middle aged forests can also be a sign of overexposure to ammonia (NOy, NOx), which causes the disappearence of the mycelia of tree species specific symbionts, such as Russula and Lactarius species, Ramaria species and/or Hydnaceae and some to many other species, only replaced by a few nitrogen tolerant species equipped to help the forest survive for a while. Dutch research on Cantharellus cibarius has proven, that its mycelium stops fruiting and dies if the soil acidity gets lower then Ph 4. So if it disappears in spruce forests, you know it is because of acidification of the soil (by the trees themselves). On the other hand, if it disappears in oak forests, it is a sign of succession moving on to the next stage and the taking over of other more or less tree species specific symbionts. And adding to the temporarely saprotrophic surviving capacities of the generalistic ectomycorrhizal Rollrim, the same goes for the mycelia of Scleroderma citrinum and Thelephora terrestris. So the "art" of reading the communication of ectomycorrhizal, saprotrophic and parasitic macrofungi and diagnosing the meaning of their presence or absence, is seeing all signs in a context of information provided by the total tree species specific ecosystem as part of a forest ecosystem consisting of the same and/or other tree species in different stages of their life cycles. Every bit of space, even in our concrete cities, always tries to develop into a forest as its optimum. Seedlings of birch and alder pop up from the cracks in the pavement and if you don't clean your gutters regularely, a damp birch and alder "forest" will develop, taking down the gutter once it has gained too much weight and reviving on the ground as if nothing dramatic happened. If we really want trees in our cities and at our roadsides, the space and circumstances a tree needs must not be subordinate to, but dominating our controlling and territorial drives.

Sean, Sorry, all in Dutch : - Th. Kuyper. Mycorrhiza. Betekenis en toepassing in de boomverzorging. Centrum voor Bodemecologie, Wijster. Speech at the KPB-symposium in Borger, 28 September 1996. G.J. Keizer & H. Sneep. Schimmels als boodschappers. Vitaliteit van bomen af te lezen aan zwammen. Tuin & Landschap 17e Jaargang nr. 24, November 1995, pages 16-19. - G.J. Keizer & H. Sneep. Schimmels als boodschappers. Enkele parasitaire schimmels nader bekeken. Tuin & Landschap 18e Jaargang nr. 7, March 1996, pages 24-27. - G.J. Keizer & H. Sneep. Schimmels als boodschappers. Enkele stamwond- en takparasieten nader bekeken. Tuin & Landschap 18e Jaargang nr. 10, May 1996, pages 52-55. - G.J. Keizer & H. Sneep. De natuur doet het werk, de mens schept hooguit voorwaarden. Vraagtekens bij het toevoegen van mycorrhizavormende schimmels. Tuin & Landschap 19e Jaargang nr. 6, July 1997, pages 26-29. In my opinion and as a result of own field research, there is no valid argument presented for the tree needing either in vitro or in situ "treatment" with "exotic" and/or indigenous and more or less tree species specific ectomycorrhizae. It really is the world upside down. We maltreat trees by withholding them a proper space and soil food web, making going through the successive stages of a tree's life cycle impossible, and then give them a "quick start" by introducing already everywhere present mycorrhizae (ecological law of dispersion of spores) to their roots, speeding up and disturbing the natural dynamics of the tree species specific ecosystem and its symbiotic partners with yet unknown possible detrimental effects on the long run. Ask yourself this question : how long will a producer or retailer of these products monitor the treated trees in situ to determine whether or not his preparations have been benificial to the tree ? As long as we don't stop treating city and roadside trees as "throw away" infra-structural rest products, like a flower pot plant only needing a bit of water, oxygen and nutrients to survive the compared to their natural life cycle very short period, we have planned for their existence, we will "recycle" trees as semi-permanent objects to "decorate" our living environments with and never give a tree the "credits" it deserves for doing so much and so essential hard work for our survival as a species. Read my closing text after my signature and you'll know where I (a forest ecologist and mycologist) am "coming from".

One has to take the actual state of all the elements or the Gestalt of the tree species specific ecosytem of the tree, combined with the phase in the life cycle of the tree, into account using the concepts derived from general (eco)system and communication theory, as it is also applied to nuclear family or other human based and many other natural or artificial systems. One could compare the MTA-method including both other elements with a holistic view on the health and condition of people or on organisations and/or on other types of organisms living together in close interdependend relationships. I wasn't finished yet adding an example from ecosystem mycology. As a generalistic ectomycorrhizal symbiont, Paxillus involutus accompanies both young trees (childhood, adolescence) and old trees, which slowly deteriorate (old age) and as a temporary in between strategy still has not lost its ability to live for some time as a saprotrophic decomposer of dead wood awaiting colonizing the roots of a new symbiotic tree partner. In other words, it feeds from the breast or the bottle while the tree is still young and connects the old tree to a drip to keep it alive for as long as possible while meanwhile assisting with terminal care. ---

Correct, one has to take the actual state of all the elements or the Gestalt of the tree species specific ecosytem of the tree, combined with the phase in the life cycle of the tree, into account using the concepts derived from general (eco)system and communication theory, as it is also applied to nuclear family or other human based and many other natural or artificial systems. One could compare the MTA-method including both other elements with a holistic view on the health and condition of people or on organisations and/or on other types of organisms living together in close interdependend relationships. ---

1. The essence of the MTA-method is that one can neither evaluate, nor determine the condition and prognosis of a tree by diagnosing or identifying one element of the tree species specific ecosystem including the symbionts, saprotrophic and (other) parasitic macrofungi, i.e. the presence of fruitings of one necrotrophic parasite and its role in the succession in/of the life cycle of the tree alone. 2. Yes beeches (and lots of other trees) do, the difference lies in fruiting because of temporary wealth or overabundance of energy (70 % fertile seeds), in Dutch called a "mast" year, or fruiting out of poverty (70 % sterile seeds) in order to short term survive and pass on a pioneer symbiont to its own offspring while it still can, called panic reproduction. 3. No, it means the beech is either slowly deteriorating because of sickness, (not yet visible) parasites attacking or old age and is preluding on this by developing secondary roots colonized by Laccaria amethystina and only investing in its own genes (offspring) while it still can. ---

That's exactly what I meant to say with my statement on the mycorrhizae products : the results of in vivo experiments can never be attributed to either or both of the natural or artificially introduced elements, and if they could, one at least needs up to fifteen years of monitoring and field research to be able to evaluate the either beneficial or detrimental effects. Besides, poor hill ground is one of the best soils for the spontaneous and natural development of forests of indigenous tree species with the highest biodiversity at its optimum, which only is attained after hundreds of years of undisturbed development and natural selection and succession. And the extremely rich in biodiversity and highly specialized species specific ecosystems of oaks are ectomycorrhizal by nature, opposed to the very poorly developed non-species specific endomycorrhizal root systems of Aesculus, which the tree, on top of this, must also share with partially the same endomycorrhizal symbionts of the grasses, which seem to profit more then the Chestnut does.

In this synopsis of a Mycological Tree Assessment case study, integrating the dynamics of the Tree Species Specific Ecosystem of Fagus sylvatica and its life cycle and the standard VTA-method, a summary of a report on a solitary beech is given. At the request of the owner, autumn 2010 the condition a 175 years old beech was examined and evaluated. The solitary tree was standing close to the monumental mansion of an old rural estate and was half way rounded by a drive way to the left and the back, which had 8 years before been resurfaced with grinded gravel, after which some of the major roots going out in that direction died. From a distance, of half of the crown of the towards the frontal lawn and the house skewed tree, of which the major roots had grown outside the outer crown projection and underneath a frontal right lawn, the south sided frontal foliage was dense and of excellent quality, with the exception of the top back central part of the crown, of which the branches' ends partially were defoliated (photo 1). At this side the tree floor was covered with fertile fruits, mostly being close to the trunk's base, indicating that they originated from the better foliaged part of the (front central) crown. At the left side and backside of the tree, the crown was only half foliated with light falling through (photo 2) on the densily with ivy covered soil. At this side, close to the base of the trunk, two clusters of Meripilus giganteus (photo 3) were present, the bigger one showing signs of panic reproduction. The annualy fruiting mycelium of this aggressive macrofungus had completely decayed two to three of the major roots and partially destroyed the under ground level root plate, causing the tree to slowly tip over to one side. The tree floor here also was covered with fruits, of which 70 % was sterile, a sign of panic fruiting of the beech. At the front side, where the tree was in best condition, close to the stem several fruitbodies of Lactarius blennius (photo 4) were present, a tree species specific ectomycorrhizal symbiont, especially important for uptaking and delivering phosphor from the soil food web to the tree (roots) needed for blossoming and fruiting. Also at the front (right) side and closer to the trunk several fruitbodies of Laccaria amethystina (photo 5) were found, indicating the beech had started a strategy of investing in passing on this ectomycorrhizal pioneer symbiont to its offspring by developing superficial secundary roots from the base of the trunk, which actually were found, by collecting rain water running down the trunk and uptaking nutrients from the soil, temporarely enhancing the foliage of and fruiting from the top front center of the crown and in this way "making a ready bed" for the fruits falling down the trunk with an energy reserve for 2 years to last the time needed for their roots to be colonized by the mycelium of the pioneer symbiont, which in its turn keeps its hyphal connection to the secundary roots of the "parent", until the seedling can stand on its own feet and the "umbilical cord" is cut. At the left side, where the roots had been damaged most by pressure from and lack of oxygen underneath the drive way, hidden under ivy growing up the tree, rhizomorphs of a necrotrophic parasitic Armillaria species had caused the infected cambium to die and the bark to crack vertically over a lenght of 30 centimetres (photo 6). As beeches are completely dependend on rain water and their roots avoid contact with ground water, the loss of parts of its major far outreaching root system was detrimental to the condition of the tree. On top of this, some major roots needed for stability were lost because of the white and soft rot caused by Meripilus giganteus and another major root lost contact with the tree because of the infection with the rhizomorphs of a cambiumkiller. Conclusion : with only the root system to the front side of the tree intact, used to invest in offspring, and the age and prognosis of further deterioration of the tree considered, investments in its short term survival seem without due cause. Advice : felling of the tree and because of the presence of rhizomorphs, replanting about 30-40 metres to the front and right, i.e. more to the centre of the lawn and away from the mansion. ---

Janey, Good for you . Did you also try out Identification of Fungi ?

No problem, keep asking until you have a clear picture. I don't mean witch's broomsticks as grow on birches (Taphrina betulina), in my country (witch's) broomsticks, used for sweeping floors with, have a tied together bundle of twigs and branches on top and that is what is called a fascis (from the symbol of the fascists), so no, not like that band fasciation you show.

No, I'm still in the phase of try outs in the form of mini-symposia or outdoor workshops for Dutch tree managers and/or certified tree workers or tree technicians and of further own in vivo and in situ research before officially publishing the concept and offering training and education in the application of the MTA-method, for which quite a bit of mycological and ecological expertise will be needed beforehand.

Yes, fasciated from the Latin fascis, meaning bundle or cluster, shaped like the top of a witch's broomstick, or f.i. looking like the cluster of stems of Collybia confluens.

Tony, 1. As said before, the reddish stains could also originate from guttation dripping down and locally colouring the pores and bark red. And I have seen hundreds of Fomitopsis pinicola with this particular type of brackets when fruiting at higher altitude too. 2. The fresh layer of pores of Fomitopsis pinicola is yellowish (as in the photo), not white as of Ganoderma and it is not (visible) stained by the white spores, but reddish by drying guttation.

As a following step after developing the concept of the dynamics of the Tree Species Specific Ecosystem (© Keizer, 2006/2010) of indigenous tree species, associated with ectomycorrhizal macrofungi, since 2008 I have been working on fine tuning the method of Mycological Tree Assessment (© Keizer, 2010), incorporating and integrating the TSSE-concept and the Visual Tree Assessment method developed by Claus Mattheck. The MTA-method takes all tree species specific, but also the major non-species specific or generalistic ectomycorrhizal partners, saprotrophic and biotrophic or necrotrophic parasitic macrofungi, which play a role in the tree age corresponding succession in the tree species specific life and energy cycle, and the species specific functions and effects of the macrofungi associated with or living on/in/from the tree and the soil food web into account. In a seperate post, a case study from 2010 is presented, which illustrates and documents the application of the MTA-method in vivo and in situ.

Yes I am, and I don't see traces of reddish brown spores on top and/or underneath the bracket on the bark, which you normally would expect to be present if Ganoderma was concerned, but anyhow, a second look and positive identification of the species would be necessary.