beech tree trunk colonization

[mrtree]

Osmoderma beetle larvae are indicative of advanced decay of wood and accumulation of well decayed organic matter in cavities.

In your tree the half-inch diameter cavities are perhaps Osmoderma. You likely know the larvae they are like white shrimp hiding out in trees.

 

[baumeister]

The other wound further up in the other picture seems to have the same break pattern. Hmmmm. I think you may have a point. Now I am curious what the fungi ID comes back with. There have been several large failures in the tree in the past too as can be seen from the pictures.

 

[mrtree]

Sprout, shoots, epicormic or adventitious, must be connected to the trunk through xylem so that the can gain water and nutrients.

As I have said repeatedly I am only inferring from your photos and writing so I would again encourage investigation. Is the wood behind the broken socket decayed or solid. Is the donut forming around the old wound solid?

We know there is active decay as the cavity behind the wound indicates. The question becomes how solid are the shell walls and what thickness. Then do you feel they will support stress applied to them without failing? Whether you call the cavity a defect or the wall a response you should investigate.

 

[mrtree]

The fungus at the base (that you called hen of the woods) will not be the same organism as the ganoderma and quite possibly a third or fourth species will occur in the cavities.

 

[baumeister]

Yes yes, I know the larvae, I just did not see any evidence. Where do you see those 1/2 cavities.?

 

[baumeister]

Yes I did see another mushroom hanging from the inside of the cavity. You may be able to make out the white stems in the top right of the picture of the inside of the wound.

 

[mrtree]

Potential Osmoderma in post # 34 second photo.

 

[mrtree]

Remember that tree cavities are highly specialized microhabitats that contain also sorts of neat things. Decayed wood is also very specific. The most recent issue of Arborist News talks about cavities and Michael Raupp hints that decayed wood may play a role in maintenance of large predatory beetle populations.

 

[baumeister]

Yes, I do love those micro habitats in the trees. The more I learn and the older I get the harder it is to cut down trees. No matter what condition they are in !!

 

[guymayor]

Nice pics, sad damage to the oak--by a dead ash long overdue.

I'm also struggling to see signs of decayed cellulose, or any signs that the normal and beneficial decay of heartwood is spreading to the living wood. Socket failure doesn't always leave a lot of shredded fibers, ime.

Yes it's good to check more while you are there, but from all the signs of good vigor and vitality in wound response etc., I'm still not seeing a Need to do any shell wall measurements. There's no reliable way to use that data via formulas, so how much work should go into getting that data? How would it be justifiable to invasively assess, aka drill, spreading decay--to get that data?

When assessments take more time and $ than pruning, I kinda gotta wonder about priorities...ecology and microhabitats are visible and worthy of conservation: "Many local extinctions of Osmoderma eremita are to be expected in the near future, especially in regions with recent habitat loss and fragmentation. O. eremita is useful as an indicator and umbrella species for the preservation of the entire invertebrate community associated with hollow trees in Europe. A preservation plan for O. eremita should include three aspects that are of general importance in nature conservation in Europe today: (1) preservation of remnants of natural forests with old, broad–leaved trees, (2) preservation and restoration of habitats related to traditional agricultural landscapes and (3) preservation of remaining "islands" of nature in urban areas."