Kveldssanger

Can anyone ID this? On an ash stump:

Spotted some more G. resinaceum on the way home from work. Basal sprouting perhaps signifies significant decay?

Well that sparked a bit of conversation! Delighted you all seemed to like that fact. Certainly an interesting one.

12/08/15. Fact #4. The Midland Reafforesting Association was created in 1903 with the intention of undertaking afforestation projects (amounting to 14,000 acres) across the Black Country, England. Whilst in principle such projects were met with support by the government and other organisations, less than 1% of the target was planted so by 1925 the project was terminated and the Midland Reafforesting Association dissolved. Predominant drivers behind the failure of the project included the residents' acceptance of the industrialised and bleak landscapes as if they were the norm and status quo, the lack of necessary funding from bodies that verbally supported the efforts of the Midland Reafforesting Association (particularly as the subsoiling / ripping of poorer-quality sites being very expensive), 'technical difficulties' (species selection, poor site quality, etc), and the fact that one of the core motives for the afforestation project, that of such forest creation improving land value, was at the time not supported by crucial evidence in favour of such a claim. Unfortunately, and somewhat ironically, only one-sixth of the derelict 14,000 acres remained by 1953. Most had been built on due to demand for infrastructural services and homes for the rising population of the UK. The remaining derelict land, which would amount to around 2,400 acres, did funnily enough regenerate naturally, gradually 'greening' the residual areas left behind after continued construction. To top the whole thing off, The Black Country Urban Forestry Unit (BCUFU) that was formed in 1985 to continue the efforts of the project from 1903, which evolved into the National Urban Forestry Unit (NUFU) in 1995, also disbanded (prematurely) due to a lack of funding from central government. The project managed to plant 837 acres of woodland over six years with a £8.5m budget, before calling it a day. Not all is lost in failure however, as the lessons drawn from the demise of such an ambitious project paved the way for research into species selection for plantations, management of plantations, and planting techniques. Source: Webber, J. (2008) Greening the Black Country: The Work of the Midland Reafforesting Association in the Early Twentieth Century. Arboricultural Journal. 31 (1). p45-62.

The book didn't say, though I'm going to guess something like Fagus sylvatica. Certainly species that exist in more moderate, less erratic climates wouldn't need such a thick outer bark. I'm not sure why the book uses rhytidome as it's not a term that is used much any more, as far as I am aware.

11/08/15. Fact #3. The bark, or outer shell of a tree, usually comprises 10-15% of a tree's cellular structure. Made up of the outer bark (rhytidome) and inner bark (phloem), the former is the older, dead (and full of waxes and suberin) portion of cells and the latter the younger, living cells. With regards to the rhytidome, it's purpose is to protect against desiccation, heat, and damage, and normally forms as the tree ages. In certain species, such as Pseudotsuga spp. and Sequoia spp., the rhytidome is very thick - for sequoias in particular, the rhytidome may reach a thickness of up to 60cm (or 2ft). Source: Dujesiefken, D. & Liese, W. (2015) The CODIT Principle: Implications for Best Practices. USA: International Society of Arboriculture.

That's not philosophical enough.

The Helliwell System hard-caps a tree at £102,400. The above valuation would say a tree is worth £123,863.59.

10/08/15: Fact #2. The majority of branch failures occur when winds exceed 50mp/h and during the period where foliage is present. Further factors will, of course, either increase or decrease the propensity of failure at and above such a threshold. During leafless periods of the year, wind gusts of between 50-75mp/h very rarely cause branch failure. Such research was undertaken between 1992-1999. Source: Luley, C., Pleninger, A., & Sisinni, S. (2002) The effect of wind gusts on branch failures in the city of Rochester, New York, U.S. In Smiley, E. & Coder, K. (eds.). Tree Structure and Mechanics Conference Proceedings: How Trees Stand Up and Fall Down. USA: International Society of Arboriculture.

Here's some L. sulphureus fruiting within the butt of an old, wind-thrown oak (long dead): Not sure what this is - on a P. nigra. Either the decay facilitated the major limb failure, or succeeded into the exposed environment following wounding. The only thing I can think of is P. schweinitzii in a somewhat (over?) mature state, having not seen brackets on pines until today. The underside looks like I. hispidus, though I am not aware of its presence on pines. Link to unknown fungus - Plenty of Bjerkandera adusta out, as well.

Foreword: I have put this within the Training & Education sub-forum as ultimately I do not consider this to be better-placed anywhere else, in terms of appropriateness. I'm creating this thread for two reasons: (1) there are so many wonderful snippets of information that exist, scattered across a consistently-growing pool of publications, or (2) because consciously looking for important information is a good way to supplement learning. The facts, figures, or observations I cite will be fully referenced, and will be tree-related in some manner. There are no true bounds with what I cite - the citation may be to do with tree mechanics, woodland management, woodland conservation, or otherwise. I seek to make one post per day, assuming I am able to do so. Hopefully those who read this thread will find some (or perhaps all) of the facts useful, and by all means feel free to start up discussion related to my posts (particularly if you have information to add - if you do provide further information, please look to reference wherever possible). So without further hesitation, here are the first 101 facts linked below..... Fact 1 – A history of coppice woodlands Fact 2 – Branch failures in wind storms Fact 3 – What is bark? Fact 4 – A history of man trying to afforest the Black Country, UK Fact 5 – Mycorrhizae-facilitated communication between individuals Fact 6 – Root severance and tree stability Fact 7 – Development cycle of wood-decay fungi Fact 7.5 – A brief history of Ancient Woodland in the UK Fact 8 – Coal deposits of the past Fact 8.5 – Europe's lack of tree diversity Fact 8.75 – The resource demand of trees Fact 9 – Endo- and ecto-mycorrhizal fungi Fact 10 – An overview of cladoptosis Fact 11 – Trees can help with human recovery Fact 11.5 – Aborting fruit to improve tree vigour Fact 12 – Vigour and vitality Fact 13 – Photosynthesis Fact 14 – How residents perceive trees Fact 15 – Bid cherry-mediated competition between two of its principal herbivores Fact 16 – Coppicing ability and suckering Fact 17 – Concrete and asphalt as mulch? Fact 18 – Root penetration of sewer pipes Fact 19 – So exactly how small are micro-organisms? Fact 19.5 – Bat-shaped soil amoebae Fact 20 – Arbuscular mycorrhizae benefits Fact 21 – What do plants need to grow? Fact 22 – Utility installations and root pruning issues Fact 23 – Seedlings and susceptibility to pathogens Fact 24 – Bumblebees self-medicating! Fact 25 – Doesn't exist because I cannot count above 24. Fact 26 – Apical dominance Fact 27 – Fertilisation – is it good or bad? Fact 28 – The Black Poplar Fact 29 – Sporophore (fungal bracket) formation Fact 30 – Trees to regulate temperature Fact 31 – Honey fungus sporulation Fact 32 – Saproxylic insects Fact 33 – A video on photosynthesis Fact 34 – The pale tussock moth Fact 35 - Białowieża National Park, Poland Fact 36 – Reproductive growth in plants Fact 37 – How plants detect light and the birth of pigments Fact 38 – A more detailed look at light and photosynthesis Fact 39 – Adaptive growth in response to mechanical stimuli Fact 40 – Gravitropism / geotropism Fact 41 – Telepathic plants Fact 42 – Vernalisation Fact 43 – Phenotypic variation as a means of compartmentalisation Fact 44 – Responses by plants to herbivory Fact 45 – Monoecious and dioicous trees Fact 46 – Insects and flowers Fact 47 – Trees and crime rates Fact 48 – Branch shedding in more detail Fact 49 – Factors that influence cladoptosis Fact 50 – Ground-level ozone and CO2 impacts upon trees Fact 51 – Hawthorn progeny Fact 52 – How to reference more than one sorbus species Fact 53 – Variegated leaves Fact 54 – The different roles of buds Fact 55 – Soil bulk density Fact 56 – Metasequoia glyptostroboides in the UK Fact 57 – Resource allocation in fungi Fact 58 – Air pollution and tree health Fact 59 – Trees and flooding Fact 60 – Honey fungus and its control Fact 61 – Heteroblastic eucalypts Fact 62 – Irrigating mature trees Fact 63 – Climate and fungi Fact 64 – Leaf retention in deciduous trees Fact 65 – Growth ring width Fact 66 – Nitrogen fixation in soils Fact 67 – The decomposition subsystem Fact 68 – An introduction to Inonotus hispidus Fact 69 – The timing of pruning operations Fact 70 – When to fertilise the soil Fact 71 – Chlorophyll fluorescence Fact 72 – Private woodland owners' attitudes to threats to tree health Fact 73 – Some more information on cladoptosis Fact 74 – Adverse impacts upon human health of tree pollen Fact 75 – Fruit-ripening and seed dispersal strategies of trees in different climates Fact 76 – Adventitious buds Fact 77 – Aerial roots and what they are for Fact 78 – How pathogens influence growth of plants Fact 79 – Root grafting in the natural environment Fact 80 – Phenotypes Fact 81 – Wood weight loss and plant growth Fact 82 – Factors affecting leaf conductivity Fact 83 – Vascular properties of trees Fact 84 – Mycorrhizal inoculation when transplanting trees Fact 85 – What drives stem elongation? Fact 86 – Xerophytic adaptations Fact 87 – How trees influence landscape connectivity Fact 88 – The changing demands of society Fact 89 – The real risk of trees Fact 90 – Move the target and not the tree Fact 91 – Storm water accumulation and trees Fact 92 – London's tree population Fact 93 – The depth that roots will grow at Fact 94 – Root crown excavation and the impacts the practice has upon trees Fact 95 – The peer-to-peer tree community network facilitated by mycorrhizal fungi Fact 96 – Soil pollution with heavy metals Fact 97 – Allelopathy in walnut Fact 98 – Chemical control of horse chestnut leaf miner Fact 99 – Getting to the root of root growth Fact 100 – Fungal colonisation strategies of heartwood rotters Fact 101 – Scattered veteran trees in farmland as keystone habitats 09/08/15: Fact #1. During the 18th and 19th centuries, coppice woodlands underwent an 'improvement' period, which involved either (1) selective removal of more undesirable species with artificial planting / propagation of more desirable species, and (2) conversion to high forest (perhaps even the former followed later by the latter). In reference to point (1), whilst many coppice woodlands only saw such improvement come in the form of gap-filling with Fraxinus excelsior and other desirable species, composition of other woods dramatically changed. For example, in the South-east Lowlands, certain coppice woodlands saw the introduction of Castanea sativa, Fraxinus excelsior, Corylus avellana, and Alnus glutinosa, whilst simultaneously seeing the removal of Acer campestre and, in somewhat of a paradox, Fraxinus excelsior, where the overriding objective of coppice was to harvest Corylus avellana poles. In the Western Uplands, Quercus petraea, and to a lesser extent Quercus robur, were selectively planted with the intention of subsequent harvesting for the leather tanning process and for charcoal to be sold into the metal industry, whilst Corylus avellana was selectively removed. In reference to point (2), the conversion of coppice to high forest was driven by local demands (or even general neglect). Where action was deliberate, Quercus spp. were principally planted, though Fagus sylvatica was also planted in abundance (notably in the Chilterns and the Cotswolds) as, after a period of undesirability (due to its poor coppicing ability), it could now flourish within the high forest, continuous cover-esque style management regimes. Ultimately however, Quercus spp. planting was more evenly-spread than Fagus sylvatica planting. Source: Peterken, G. (2015) Woodland History in the British Isles – An Interaction of Environmental and Cultural Forces. In Kirby, K. & Watkins, C. (eds.) Europe's Changing Woods and Forests: From Wildwood to Managed Landscapes. UK: CABI.

Here's the birch polypore gallery. One was likely desiccated from last year or earlier this (not sure on their decomposition rates), though two remain.

Cheers for the confirmation guys. Saw a cracker of a P. betulinus, too, on a clearly-stressed birch with serious mechanical damage from surrounding vegetation clearance work.

What I do on my days off really is rather sad, eh! Can anyone ID the two species below, please. First one is taken, in two places (first one a moderately-sized log and the second on an old coppice stump), from dead sweet chestnut wood. Could it be L. sulphureus? Unsure as most brackets I have seen have been far larger and more numerous / tufty. Second one is taken on a mature oak. I'm thinking either early G. resinaceum or I. dryadeus (leaning more towards the former), though I am unsure. Ta.

I'm thinking the scales of the pineapple are more like the bark of a pine?

Not a PH, but Lyndhurst is named after the linden tree. Turns out there's an Oak Inn there. The Oak Inn - Home Nice place - cracking car garage by the town centre. One day shall I have the riches...!

Happens to the best of us, Gary.

Wild Service Tree

The Chequers Inn in Writtle / Chelmsford, too.

There was one nearby called The Cherry Trees, but it closed unfortunately. Bit of history gone there, all because it got bought out by a parent company and subsequently 're-designed'. Travesty.

Already explained why this won't work (previous page).

Oh it's that type of person. Warn her not to use her car as, statistically, she is at risk of danger when driving. Also ensure she doesn't leave the house as, statistically, she could get hit by a vehicle when using a pedestrian walkway. Also inform her not to breathe as, statistically, the air in urban areas is polluted to a point that you are more disposed to suffer long-term ill-health effects. I could go on... Also inform her Robinia wood is strong and was once used for playground equipment for kids to play on / around.

Seeing as a TPO is mainly geared towards amenity value and visibility, justifying the use of officer time (legal, planning, TO) for a tree that has been hacked and is likely not too visible would be very hard. I don't imagine you'd gain any traction, there.

^ one of those would become a high hedge later in their lifetime, given the intention behind the act, no?

You may be right. Either that or someone spilled their actimel yoghurt on the tree.