Treeation

Yes definetly get one...i. Got the big stihl kombi - gets used so much... Got the strimmer/trimmed/chainsaw attachments

Id go with the british native Alnus glutinosa - genetically suited to british conditions and best for wildlfie potential

Im sure if you took some end weight off before the snow kicks in you could get many more years out of the limb could also tether with bracing if there targets below

Not sure its all doom and gloom. 1. Who will actually be policing this? I imagine unless there is an accident or insurance claim to cater for,or you are working on a high profile site many climbers will carry on using their prefferred methods that they have ample experience and skill to do so. 2. In the hierachy of using the 2 rope system point 3 says. "If, as a result of a risk assessment, it is determined that it is not reasonably practicable, or would entail higher risk to persons,* to achieve points 1 or 2, then one system installed over one load-bearing anchor may be used." Im sure a lot of climbers are capable of making their own risk assessments whilst assessing the tree initially and may well chose this option. 3. Although a 2 rope system might be a pain in the arse at times it may be quite useful in certain trees especially with spready trees such as silver maples or where there isnt a nice central leader to anchor to, or if cimbing sketchier trees in decline/ ash dieback, dead uns etc....

Hi, I checked all my Mattheck books - manual of decay/body language of trees/ and Lonsdales Principles of tree hazard assessment and management, AA Fungi manual....and no mention whatsoever of Velvet shank....the only book I have that covers it is Diagnosis of Ill health and trees - Strouts & winter who suggest that Velvet shank " is a top rotter that where the rot is usually confined to small pockets and dead branches" p228 so I imagine more of an idicator of dead wood already present which has been caused due to another reason rather than pathogenic attack from the fungus in question...

Although id be more concerned about the lifting bark on the trunk. A more detailed inspection would be a good idea

I thought it was saprophytic and not a lot to worry about. Certainly not heard of it being pathogenic. Where did you read that - maybe im missing something!?

Looks like sulphur tuft. Saprophytic i believe

decay pocket/ internal cavity with stained water seeping out?

Or if you need a professional tree condition survey done Im only in Stroud so give me a PM if I can be any help to you! Patrick

I would of it if theres plenty of sound wood remaining and sound butressesing and the crown health looks excellent judging by the photo, that it would'nt need much done to it at present apart future monitoring. Taking some written measurements of sound wood/decayed/cavity with a probe and sounding hammer to assist for likely decay areas and take some photos of crown/trunk/fungi for future reference so you have some way of cross referencing for future inspections.

Gutted for you! Hope you get a fat payout from insurance

Certainly looks like it, although a close up of the stalk should confirm if its velvet coloured

Sorry just lost a whole page of text I had written out....will be back later

Thats a fair big inclusion...what did the ears look like? Hard to tell from the photos?

Photo 1 - Bolete under cedar, 2 - Cauliflower fungus (Sparassis crispa), 3 - Deciever (Laccaria laccata), 4 - Golden scaly cap (Pholiota aurivella), 5 - Shaggy ink caps (Coprinus comatus) & stump puffballs (Lycoperdon pyriforme), 6 - Puffball spp. (Lycoperdon spp.) 7 - Shaggy scalycap (Pholiota squarrosa), 8 - Shaggy parasol (Macrolepiota rhacodes), 9 - The Prince (Agaricus augustus)

Nice wander at Westonbirt Arboretum over the last couple of days. Chuffed to have found Cauliflower fungus and the The Prince for the first time, I ate the Prince - was really good quite sweet flavour and same texture as portobello.

Have to disagree with this! I have done many hedge type reductions and have found echo 360tes to do exactly this....its this smaller frithy stuff that kicks as chain comes into contact with it...nothing to do with poor maintenainance...have found the stihl 150 much more satisfactory for such jobs

Try and go recreational climbing with a decent arborist so you can practise getting around the tree "the proper way" and practice as much as possible. Try and get hold of an uptodate course manual and assessment criteria so you can prepare for what you will be tested on. Make sure your kit has been LOLER tested before you start course. Theres a series of generic health & safety questions for the NPTC assessments such as risk assessments/H&S legislation etc....learn those. TBH - you should be fine, its all fairly straight forward. Your biggest challenge might be unlearning bad habits as sounds like you already have some experience doing aeriel work. Good luck and enjoy!

It looks like the bark is lifting (but hard to tell from photos). Given the trees location (if it was to fail) I would recommend getting an tree condition survey by a qualified tree inspector, who can have a thorough examination and provide decent advice on how to move forward.

Hard to to tell by a phtot why branches have fallen off in the past but could well be squirrel damage. Id say the longer implication of squirrel damage would be affected areas eventually failing due to extensive decay. Unlikely to kill a sycamore, but expect onging branch loss due to loss of strength caused by secondary decay.

The best thing you can do for the sycamore and other trees in the woodland will be to cull the squirrels as they will ravage young oaks, beech and sycamore to name a few, for years by bark stripping which then turn into decayed areas and increase pathogen ingress as well as affecting their structual integrity

I dont believe tar spot spreads to birch or oak and have only seen it on sycamore

would agree

So do you use excel to get the field data and use that in report accompanied with a microsoft word type report?