TYPICAL RED OAK LEAF
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| ARMILLARI MUSHROOM (Wikipedia photo) |
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| TWO LARGE RED OAKS FELLED BY LAST WEEK'S STORM |
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| ROTTING OF PROP ROOTS... |
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| ...TOTAL DECAY OF TRUNK AT GROUND LEVEL AND BENEATH |
Thursday, 9:30 AM. 68 degrees F at the ferry dock, 62 on the back porch. Wind NE, moderate with stronger gusts. The sky is clear, the humidity 84% and the barometer more-or-less steady at 29.95". The waves were strong and steady at the beach this morning, the whitecaps visible as far as one could see. We should have nice weather (it is very pleasant) at least until Sunday, when a chance of thunderstorms is predicted.
The storm a week ago last night that caused so much damage to roads and bridges felled many trees, including these two large red oaks on Chequamegon Road. They appeared to be totally healthy trees, but they were blown over by the strong winds.
When tipped over the prop roots brought no soil along with them, as is the case with a more normal "tip up" of a large tree. The reason: the prop roots were completely rotted away, and there was virtually no sound wood beneath the ground level. Red oaks (Quercus borealis) seem to be particularly subject to infection by the wood-rotting fungus Armillaria gallica. I have seen huge red oaks, in full leaf and seemingly strong and healthy, fall with the slightest breeze, or even on a calm day, due to butt rot.
The warning signs of butt rot caused by Armillaria are the growth of the tell-tale mushrooms, at the base of the tree; however they only appear once a year, and may not be noticed. Close inspection may reveal white, thread-like fungal mycellia beneath the bark; if verification of damaged wood is desired one might take a core boring sample, but this is not easy and can itself do damage and be a cause of infection.
Prevention of injury, such as damage by earth moving or mowingequipment (and string trimmers on young trees) is the best means of protection, since root and butt rotting fungus gains entry to the tree through damage to the bark. in the case of the tree pictured, an asphalt drive was installed some years ago right up to the tree trunks, and the grading could not help but cause damage to the prop roots.
Any living organism can look and seem perfectly healthy and yet have hidden disease and structural damage that can cause it harm or even death.
The warning signs of butt rot caused by Armillaria are the growth of the tell-tale mushrooms, at the base of the tree; however they only appear once a year, and may not be noticed. Close inspection may reveal white, thread-like fungal mycellia beneath the bark; if verification of damaged wood is desired one might take a core boring sample, but this is not easy and can itself do damage and be a cause of infection.
Prevention of injury, such as damage by earth moving or mowingequipment (and string trimmers on young trees) is the best means of protection, since root and butt rotting fungus gains entry to the tree through damage to the bark. in the case of the tree pictured, an asphalt drive was installed some years ago right up to the tree trunks, and the grading could not help but cause damage to the prop roots.
Any living organism can look and seem perfectly healthy and yet have hidden disease and structural damage that can cause it harm or even death.
OFF THE CUFF
Trees aren't the only entity that can seem perfectly healthy yet be in danger of rotting at the base and toppling to its death. A society itself can look perfectly sound and healthy yet be in danger from rot at its core. As my grandfather would say in German (sorry, no translation) "Above wonderful, and underneath rotten." Look around you, look and listen closely and think about where we are at.
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