Kveldssanger

Phaeolus would have been more crumbled, and had a brown colouration atop, no? Bit like this, from a douglas fir I found. I don't think this'd be a conifer stump, as there's no indication of any other conifers about. It's by some flats, so would have been an 'amenity' tree.

Note: Considered Pseudoinonotus dryadeus, though it was too soft and moist for this time of year. In my experience, it usually dries out markedly very quickly, and even if it remains whitish it's far more 'crusty'. Here, the flesh was still moist. However, other characteristics probably fit this fungus.

On a stump (not sure what species - looked to be ring-porous, though other trees in the area are cherry and poplar only). Initial thoughts were D. quercina, as the growths are on a heavily-decayed stump, the growths are also atop the stump, and the the morpohology and clustered presence is suggestive of the fungus. However, the tube layer is not deep enough when a cross-section is taken, the pore layer isn't 'maze-y' enough in places (and the pores are also too small?), and the flesh colour is a little too rustic (?). The colouration is also a little too grey perhaps, as usually there's more of a brown-biege-purple tinge. It looks like a brown rot as well, as the wood is still tough and seemingly dry. This would fit with D. quercina, of course, assuming it is a brown rot. Link here with plenty of pics: Any assistance here would be appreciated! Chris

Issue sorted. Thanks, Paul & Laura. Good customer service, as always.

Perhaps in part, as it's a selective white rot induced by the mycelium.

Looks like Gano. Nice buttressing on that last image.

Good points you raise, there. A possible lack of mycorrhizae, energy reserves within the tree, and a lack of plant diversity ensures pathogens can have a field day (no resilience).

It would remove the potential wood substrate for the fungi, though if additional wounds have been created and fungal mycelium exists far enough away from the source of heat then it could simply re-colonise the new area of wounded wood tissue (I would suspect).

03/04/16. Fact #185. When a tree is damaged by a herbivore (such as an insect), it will generally secrete volatile gases known as herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). These volatiles may serve a couple of purposes, with the two principal ones being to deter further defoliation by the insect, and to attract predators and parasitoids of the defoliator in an attempt to reduce defoliation severity (by increasing defoliator mortality). Of course, beyond the release of HIPVs, phenols and other compounds may also be deposited within the leaf structure, and foliar re-growth may contain greater concentrations of herbivore-dissuading compounds. Such additional aspects of defence against herbivory are however beyond the scope of this post, which will focus specifically upon how HIPVs fare in terms of attracting predation of an insect defoliator by birds. The authors of this study, to assess whether HIPVs did increase predation (by birds, upon caterpillars), used small 1.5m tall apple trees (Malus sylvestris), and ‘infected’ certain individuals with the winter moth (Operophtera brumata). Following infection of certain individuals, the research sought to determine whether great tits (Parus major) opted to frequent the apple trees where the defoliating caterpillars were still present, where they had been removed, or where both the damaged leaves and caterpillars had been removed. An aim of recognising whether the great tits responded most optimally to chemical (HIPVs), visual (birds can see the caterpillars and damged foliage), or a mixture of both cues, was also investigated. To ensure the test had reduced bias, only a sensible number of caterpillars were placed upon particular apple trees (a number that would mimic a naturally-occurring defoliation event), and the great tits used for the study were naive (they had been bred in captivity, and thus not exposed to the caterpillars on apple trees before). Specific means of data capture for each research aim can be read in the journal article linked at the end of this post. The winter moth. Source: Bramblejungle. Following on from the study period, it was observed that great tits visited infested trees with a higher significance than those uninfested by caterpillars – both in terms of the trees they would visit first, and the trees they would visit over a longer time period. Interestingly, it mattered not whether the infested trees still had the caterpillars on them, or even had the damaged leaves retained after HIPV emission but prior to visitation by birds (meaning that birds were not drawn to the trees because they could see the larvae or damaged leaves). The volatiles emitted by damaged leaves were also significantly different to those emitted by in-tact leaves (though both leaf types did emit volatile mixtures). For example, α-Farnesene, a chemical compound found in apple pomes and associated with herbivore attraction (so the fruits are eaten and seeds dispersed), was emitted at much higher levels following foliar herbivory by the caterpillars, and therefore may be a principal reason for why birds were attracted to the tree (though likely not the only reason). In summation, chemical cues emitted from damaged leaves (HIPVs) can be seen as a significant factor in determining visitation by birds. The great tit. Source: Wikimedia Commons. However, the fact that the remnant structure of defoliated leaves visually differed to in-tact leaves (principally in the level of reflectance of light), visual cues may perhaps play somewhat of a role, though this role is unlikely to be major as light reflectance may vary for other reasons as well (including overall light availability). To conclude, what this study shows is that chemical cues can be considered as important factors when it comes to both the defence of the tree, and the locating of food by insectivorous birds (the two are perhaps associated with one another, to quite a marked degree). This is important, as it ensures that a tree does not succumb to massive defoliation events, though it does rely upon the defoliator being palatable by any visiting birds. For this reason, invasive insect species may (or may not), whilst inducing HIPV emission, not be predated upon as much as a native insect defoliator (at least, to begin with). Granted, native insect species with high levels of toxins (such as the caterpillar of the cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae, which accumulates toxic alkaloids from consuming its host plant ragwort Senecio jacobaea) that build up over instar stages, may also reduce predation levels by birds. Source: Amo, L., Jansen, J., Dam, N., Dicke, M., & Visser, M. (2013) Birds exploit herbivore‐induced plant volatiles to locate herbivorous prey. Ecology Letters. 16 (11). p1348-1355.

Some resistance is good, but as Xylella also has many sequence types (genetic 'strains') there is no guarantee that the pathogen itself won't evolve to trump the resistance of the resistant olives. Furthermore, is the resistance passed on via clonal propagation, or can it be retained via sexual breeding of a crop? In fact, this isn't resistance but tolerance. Damn BBC getting it wrong, there. Tolerance doesn't equal resistance. Is this tolerance situational, and is it tolerance to a specific ecotype / sequence of Xylella? As Xylella can (from what I have read) exist as an endophyte, what's to say that it cannot remain latently present, respond to conditions within the host plant / tree, and still retain its pathogenicity for a time when it will be better-suited to pose a threatening attack upon its host? Good news, but we 'aint even started making the cake yet with this one. We don't even have all of the eggs needed. Can someone go out and buy some icing sugar?

If they ate chocolate digestives, yes they would.

Ikr. Makes me delighted I got my Fungal Decomposition of Wood for £220.

Oh my...

It's still available as the 2013 edition from Summerfield / Treesource. It was Mattheck's old one that won't ever be reprinted unfortunatey. It was asked to him, that question of reprinting, but I suppose his new VTA book covers everything in fewer words.

Nice! Thanks for the addition. Indeed, it was a good one. Really easy to read as well, unlike many journal articles.

Oh the wonders of plausible deniability. Haha.

Nah it's fine. Will PM you my name / membership no. Thanks for the help here. Only caught wind of it being in print when Gary Prentice asked me the other day about the Glynn Percival article on flooding.

Yep, nothing for the third one though. I did get the two AA mags again though. Perhaps they sent me the wrong package?

Nice eyes! Didn't fancy trespassing to get more shots? Cracking Rigidoporus, there. Really, really nice one.

Hi all, Would this be F. punctata on Fagus sylvatica? Sw it at Epping on the ATF visit and a few of us thought it was indeed this fungus. Realised I had never checked, so thought I'd ask. If it's not too common on beech and it is indeed this fungus, I can try to find the tree again, as I kind of remember where it is (sad, eh!). Cheers, Chris

01/04/16. Fact #184. In the UK, the plane tree (Platanus x hispanica) has been, and perhaps still is, a very popular choice of tree for urban landscapes. In London, the recent i-Tree report suggested that up to 4% of Inner London’s tree population of 1,587,000 trees are plane (meaning 63,480 are plane trees), though in terms of leaf area is provides as much as 8.9%. In this sense, it’s evidently a tree that is usually found to be quite large, and this landscape dominance makes it a very prominent feature as well as quite a common one (for a larger tree, where feasible planting space is automatically more limited). However, the ability to clonally propagate plane, in addition to the report’s findings that 21% of London’s trees are clones, we can assume that at least 13,331 planes are genetically not unique (perhaps more, as many planes are assumed to the ‘Pyramidalis’ cultivar, though other cultivars may also be found and thus raise the total level of ‘clonal-ness’ amongst plane meta-populations). This presents problems, as such a lack of genetic diversity means pests and diseases can readily sweep through clonal stands, as there is no inherent level of variable resistance in the population. Beyond London, they also feature quite prominantly in some of the new towns, and particularly along main vehicle routes and within urban parks. Introductory spiel aside, my remarks on pest and disease are quite pertinent to this post, which will look at a recent article published by Tubby & Perez-Sierra in the Arboricultural Journal, which looks into the current status of plane and those pests and diseases that may soon put the species at risk, within the UK. For those that get the print journal (like myself), then you may have already read this, though it’s got some great information and thus is a good one to share with an audience far beyond those who get (or have access to) the journal. Arguably the most prominent aggressor of plane in recent years is what we know as Massaria (Splanchnonema platani). Despite this fungus being considered a “weak pathogen”, where it will ‘aid’ (in an adverse sense) with twig abscission and cause small cankers upon minor branches, it has been increasingly observed, across central and western Europe, to cause decay and dieback within larger-diameter branches at the upper branch crotch and along the upper side of the branch, and notably in the lower crown where branch diameter is between 100-200mm. The dieback has the potential to cause very wide decay strips, with potentially around 30% of the entirety of a branch’s circumference being damaged by the fungus (which induces a soft rot). Such damage will induce symptoms of decline within the affected branch (which may be highly discernible if the branch is large and bears a lot of foliage), as will cambial dieback create lesions that are evident from above the crotch (a pinkish-orange colour). Failure can occur in as little as three months following on from the onset of decay. Of course, as most plane trees are present within the urban environment in the south east of England (and are generally large in size), which incidentally is also the most densely-populated area of the UK, there is an evident risk to public safety. For this reason (amongst others), the LTOA (London Tree Officers Association) published guidance quite recently on the subject. Cross-sections of the decay associated with Massaria. Source: LTOA. Beyond Massaria, which is indeed present within the UK, we can also observe how plane canker (Ceratocystis platani) may be a very possible threat in the near future. Whilst it is a fungus not present within the UK right now, courtesy of transportation over from the US during WWII, it is indeed present on the continent, and ‘uses’ humans as its primary vector across the landscape. In both urban and forest-borne planes, in countries such as France and Switzerland, this fungus causes marked xylem staining (extending up to as much as 2-2.5m a year), thereby induces wilting, and may even cause the death of its host plane tree as a result. Because its spores may remain ‘active’ for long periods of time before finding a host to infect (usually following wounding), chainsaws (and other equipment), boots, and even the transporation of soil may enable it to spread over vast distances. For this reason, infected trees are felled and disposed of on site, and all equipment used is thoroughly cleaned (or replaced) afterwards. Such a rigorous sanitation measure is, unfortunately, necessary, and therefore its emergence in the UK could be very damaging and costly. Remaining with fungal decayers, Fomitiporia punctata (syn. Phellinus punctatus) also has the potential to infect planes within the UK. On the continent it may indeed use the plane as a host species, and when it does it creates rather non-distinct sporophores (brown ‘splodges’) that can easily be missed. The fungus causes a very significant white rot of the sapwood and (depending upon host species, false-)heartwood region of its host, and therefore in the urban environment such decay may prove to be significant in terms of the level of risk posed by the host tree. F. punctata on Quercus sp. Source: NHGS. Similarly, whilst Inonotus hispidus may already be found colonising plane within the UK, a species of the same genus known as Inonotus rickii may be another potential fungal pathogen. Native to the tropics, it is currently in Italy, where it induces a white rot upon its host and may colonise, like Inonotus hispidus, through open wounds. The authors do note, however, that climatic differences between the UK and Italy may mean its emergence in the UK may not be for a fair few years, though it is likely to succeed at some point (and particularly in urban areas where it is warmer, courtesy of the urban heat island effect – and this is where most plane trees reside). Other wood-decay fungi that may use the plane as a host include the resident Ganoderma species (G. australe, G. lipsiense, and G. resinaceum), and also Perenniporia fraxinea. A type of powdery mildew, with the scientific name of Erysiphe platani, is a further potential pathogen of plane. In fact, it was found in the UK in 1983, though does not appear to be at all significant at this moment in time (if it is even still here – it may have been eradicated?), and is instead far more significant as a pathogen in countries such as Spain. Much like other powdery mildews, it affects the foliage and causes leaf deformation, though may also impact upon the amenity value of infected plane trees. If, like oak mildew, there are also marked impacts to the health of the tree over the long-term, then this powdery mildew of plane may have adverse consequences in that regard as well. Sticking with the leaf, a more evident problem for plane trees is anthracnose (Apiognomonia veneta). Peronal observation of this leaf pathogen (that over-winters on twigs, where it may blight them during milder years) is that it can be very readily observed in larger plane trees, where it can cause extensive leaf dieback (to the point that members of the public are concerned enough to report it). In younger trees, the entire foliage crown may prematurely be lost, and a second one formed. Such a loss of foliage (in plane trees of all sizes) has an adverse impact upon tree energy levels, and like Cameraria ohridella in horse chestnut, is far more than an amenity problem. Again upon the leaf, though this time a pest and not a pathogen, the sycamore lace bug (Corythuca ciliata), since 2006, has been a UK problem. Adults will feed on the underside of plane leaves, which will cause the upper surface of the leaf to become minutely-dotted in white. In time, as feeding continues, the leaf may eventually be evidently chlorotic or bronzed, after which time the leaves will prematurely abscise. Again, this is far more than an amenity issue, and heavy infestations of this lace bug can play a role in the death of a plane tree (particularly when combined with other plane pests and pathogens). The lace bug’s foliar symptoms. Source: SDIS. From the source article, it is certainly evident that there are many looming (and some already present) threats to the plane tree in the UK. Whilst the plane doesn’t necessarily have as much direct ecological value as many other tree species found in the UK (notably native ones), it does have a substantial impact upon airborne pollutants, and its hardy nature means it can thrive where other trees species may suffer beyond belief. Therefore, if it does begin to succumb more readily to pathogens discussed here, then there may be problems with regards to its longevity and abundance. As many of our plane trees are urban-based, will risk management be a principal driver behind its decline? Only time will tell, though as always, protecting and safeguarding ecosystems from invasive pests and pathogens is absolutely critical and, as an island, the UK is (theoretically) greatly-poised to control the entry of these organisms. Of course, I say theoretically, as a control program is only as effective as its weakest link. Source: Tubby, K & Perez-Sierra, A. (2015) Pests and pathogen threats to plane (Platanus) in Britain. Arboricultural Journal. 37 (2). p85-98.

Just wondering when Issue 3 is getting posted? An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie

Oh wow, thanks for that David. It looked a little like a tiny cauliflower in the morning, though by the afternoon had grown slightly. Are they common? Expanding foam - great description, and fits this.

I thought it was chicken of the woods from the ground, though it's far too squishy that as soon as I was up the ladder it screamed of something insect-created. I shan't be killing it if it is a wasp. If it is one, I'd rather she find somewhere else before she spends too much time making the nest there.

Also interesting to see it's located on deadwood that's heavily decayed. So many trees around and this one was chosen. Shaded spot almost throughout the day, cool, though right by a busy road and a housing estate.