Gary Prentice

I'm still thinking along the same lines, the curved base may be so it clamps to a round straining post, which may be where the chain comes in, to secure it. But I'm probably totally wrong. What's the other side like?

I'm not sure, but this looks like a wire strainer, for fencing. Is there a notch, where a wire would pass through and get clamped?

Terrific post:congrats::congrats:

The "stick" thing looks like needles on my screen I'm assuming from the op's description, that we're talking about the shiny black matter. I can't make out the "conks" from the photo. Can someone give David or Tony a poke...

I read this last night and made a note to come back for answers. Sticking my neck out, I think it's just a resinous exudate.

Don't remove deadwood, it's a habitat. Trees don't "need" pruning, the axiom of uniform stress means that it shouldn't fall over. Unless its causing issues, leave it alone.

So, is the second layer of tubes being born as a new layer a particular identifying factor of G australe? Or are some of the other Gano species the same? I've never considered how fungi grow, year to year, so this is all new information. Ergo, in this particular species, as long as food is present, would each tube layer represent a years growth. Furthermore, if the bracket stops increasing in size, would that indicate that it had exhausted the available food supply? Could you recommend some literature, websites etc, I really need to expand my understanding of mycology. cheers Tony

This one's just having a nibble..

I'm thinking/hoping so. We've had some gale force winds over the last fortnight, but there's no indication of any rootplate movement. The client said this morning that the stems blow about but the tree doesn't rock. Maybe not the best description, but I understand what she means. Its been thinned, and lifted quite heavily, as the neighbour isn't a great fan of it (Appeasement Pruning!) Its a largish tree, with a high canopy, and needs to get some lower foliage encouraged, if reduction is decided upon.

On a cockspur thorn in a target rich environment. Trees pretty hollow, but showing good signs of vitality. Client (and me) wishes to retain, but I'm starting to debate on a managed reduction.

still climbing, teaching, doing cunsultancy for clients who actually care about trees.

We've not long back re-topped several very large TPO'd Hybrids right on a main road. I met the local TO, who simply agreed we had no choice other than repeat the hacking. I was surprised that the LA had consented to topping them originally and included an option in the application to cut lower into sound wood if neccessary. Surprisingly every original cut was sound.

Much better explained than my post, but it was 6.30AM when I wrote mine.

There is according to Mynor. Varies according to usage of rooms, it's an easement & I think the twenty yrs of use applies.

Hi Acer, Thanks for the calculations you posted over the weekend. I briefly read through them but really haven't had the time to think everything over (whilst re-reading the practice note again). I'll be back when I get all my ducks in a row.

I've been following this thread with great interest. Although I can understand the reasoning and quantifying elements assessed by QTRA, I can't still have a moral dilemma with the entire process. A couple of years back, I was involved in an application and an appeal to fell a large ash. The tree had a history of dropping limbs and had a large limb over the road way with a diametric crack almost two meters long. The road was a private access to the rear of twenty odd houses. So, the the odds of hitting someone was low, the risk of harm (death) was high as the limb was 4-500 dia, and the potential of failure was very high. The appeals inspector stated that it would fail. The tree officer told me that the odds of failure were lottery winning figures that it would hit someone, just as a neighbour drove past. "Try explaining to her family just how unlucky she was" was my answer. I do find it difficult, in that particular situation, to accept a tolerable level of risk. Like the picture of the cars in the car park. If they'd been occupied, would 1:400,000 still been acceptable?

I'm 47, climb most days and can climb all day. If you're fit and have stamina, go for it.

Dependant on the soil type and foundation depth!

Had that done to me....... Reason why climbers make good groundsmen, they tend other climbers ropes.

Looks like its been topped before. What's the dark streak down the bole? Edit. Seen bigger closer,

I was involved in mountain rescue until a few years back, so out of academic interest, I'm trying to calculate the forces and loads imposed by the zip line. Cheers, it's really interesting to see environmental arb so well documented.

11mm?

David, out of interest, what rope did you use for the zip line?

My arguement is always that they are going to have to attend after any application is submitted anyway. So have a site visit, with the contractor, agree the extent of any neccessary works then and there. Submit application on the agreed works and bob's your uncle.

So they're less compacting than pedestrian traffic, that's surprising but good to know. Empirical data rules:thumbup: