Status of Girdled Trees Project

Back in May 2015 I girdled and applied herbicide to the large trees in this area in an attempt to create a grassland corridor between two areas of healthy prairie.  I thought it would be a few years before any of the killed trees began to fall.  Things are progressing much more quickly than I imagined.

In only a year and a half, about a third of the girdled trees have already fallen.  With one exception, all of the fallen trees have been Tuliptrees. 

Some of the trees dropped into the neighboring prairie.  Since this area is still being treated to eliminate invasive shrubs, I’ll remove the fallen trees to make it easier to find and destroy any invading sprouts.

The trees broke just above the girdle ring.  The girdling was done high enough on the trunk that a tall stump remains.  It’s best to leave the stump tall enough to be visible in the grass.  This way you are less likely to fall over or run your mower up onto the stump.

It looks as though the dead trees hosted quite a few wood boring insects.  I was surprised to see the extent to which the wood had been penetrated.

Woodpeckers appear to be taking advantage of the insect laden tree trunks.  I thought some of the trees were large enough to serve as woodpecker nesting sites, but I don’t think they are going to be standing long enough to serve that purpose.  I’m expecting this tree to fall soon.

In June 2016, about a year after being girdled, the Tuliptrees were still producing leaves on a few branches.  I was having some doubts that I had successfully killed the trees.

The trunks themselves gave some positive evidence that I was getting the desired results.  Impressive fungus growths suggested that decomposition was occurring beneath the bark.

A variety of fungus species were present.

I was impressed by the number of fungus species that were able to so quickly take advantage of the recently killed trees.

This area will soon be dominated by tall grass, but it won’t be without a few trees.  I have left several young Blackjack Oaks, Quercus marilandica, to grow among the grass.  Blackjack Oaks have a special relationship with several prairie invertebrates, and are well worth saving.  There won’t be enough trees left to hinder the growth of the prairie grasses, but there will be enough to enhance the quality of this small area.

You can read about the original girdling project by clicking HERE.  

Powdery Mildew Fungus on Japanese Honeysuckle

Diseased plants are normally a disturbing sight.  My initial reaction when I saw pale, shriveling plants in this jungle of greenery was dismay.  That feeling dissipated quickly as I realized that all of the sickly plants were Japanese Honeysuckle.  Anything that weakens an invasive plant species has got to be good.

Closer examination revealed a velvety covering of mold on leaf and stem.  The condition is commonly referred to as Powdery Mildew and is the result of a fungus growing on the surface of the plant.  Powdery Mildew is an affliction shared by many species of plants, but for most plant species, there is a specific fungus that produces the condition.  Spores produced by the fungus on the Japanese Honeysuckle will only grow if they happen to land on another honeysuckle vine. 

Powdery Mildew definitely weakens the plant and it can cause death in severe cases.  Shade, humidity and temperature are the three factors affecting the growth of the fungus.  Spores ride the wind and blanket the countryside.  I’m certain that all honeysuckle has been in contact with the spores.  When conditions are favorable, the fungus thrives and the plants suffer. 

The fungus is only present in a few small patches of Japanese Honeysuckle at Blue Jay Barrens. The plants probably won’t die, but I’m hoping to see a significant reduction in competition between honeysuckle and the desired native plants.  Powdery Mildew has long been known to people who cultivate Japanese Honeysuckle.  Those people are happy to share methods of saving the plants, but I haven’t found any who have recommendations on how to encourage the fungus.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on this honeysuckle area as the summer progresses.  I would love to discover a method of growing the fungus on all of the Blue Jay Barrens honeysuckle.  Since the fungus growth is more a function of weather conditions, there’s no way that I can control its spread.  About the best I can hope for is the elimination of honeysuckle in these small areas.  I’ll certainly keep hoping for the best.

Fungus 2011

I’m beginning to wonder if the skies are going to look gray forever. We’ve been stuck in the same basic weather pattern for almost six months and the number of sunny days has been well below normal. Rains began to fall in late November and were a welcome relief from the prolonged drought we had just experienced. December and January didn’t produce large amounts of precipitation, but storm clouds were an almost constant occurrence. February rainfall jumped to above normal levels and March continued the trend. April reached 11.95 inches of rain for the month, which tied the Blue Jay Barrens record for total monthly rainfall. May has experienced six inches of rainfall so far and forecasts indicate much more to come. The normally dry soils have sustained a level of saturation that is far beyond any that I have witnessed during my experience with this property.

Prolonged wet weather favors those species that thrive in a moist environment. Many plants are exhibiting an enhanced vigor that is rarely seen. Plants are larger, blooming more profusely and in general, expressing themselves more forcefully than expected. One group of life forms that benefit most from the excessive moisture is the fungi.

What we see of the fungi are the fruiting bodies, that part of the fungus that produces the spores. Reproductive structures, like the cups formed by the Veined Cup fungus, grow quickly and require adequate moisture in order to remain hydrated through the period necessary to create and release spores. Without moisture, the fruiting bodies are not created and we don’t see the fungi.

Fungi illustrate an important principle that must be understood in order to be successful as a manager of natural biological systems. It’s necessary to identify the components of a system in order to develop an action plan for manipulating that system. The fungi that we see during a wet year have always been present, but they are normally present in their non-reproductive state which makes them exist in a condition that is outside of our normal awareness. A survey of fungi completed during a dry year could make it appear that they are lacking, but experience should tell us that we are missing something and need to make a greater effort to find the answers we seek. The same applies to plants and animals. They can be present in low numbers or in physical forms that we don’t easily recognize, but which we must consider if we are to make wise management decisions. Management plans developed using a single census of species, or even a census compiled by several visits over the same year, lack the basic information necessary to effectively manage towards specific goals. Monitoring and census of plant and animal species on a property are not only essential to the development of a management plan; they are a necessary action item within the plan itself. Proceeding with landscape manipulation without a well documented account of species present could result in an unintentional loss of critical species as well as a failure to achieve the desired goals for the project.

I’ve always associated fungi with things magical and mysterious. The ability to create an elaborate structure seemingly out of nowhere and practically overnight has got to be near the top of the list of wondrous things in the natural world. For me, fungi will continue to be a reminder of how little I know and how much I need to understand in order to successfully manipulate the landscape along a course that will bring about the special ecosystem necessary for the survival of those rare and unusual components of the natural world found at Blue Jay Barrens.

Fungus

If recent rainfall patterns continue, this will be a record year for fungus at Blue Jay Barrens. We’ve had over 16 inches of rain in the last 10 weeks and predictions are for more to come. The more it rains, the more the fungi grow.

This specimen is one of the jelly types that I believe is called Tree-ear. I’m thinking they were still in the process of forming, because the larger of the lot had a definite ear shape while the smaller more resembled deflated plastic bags.

They were all growing from this small branch that looks to have been blown to the ground during one of the recent wind storms. This new position may limit the range of spore dispersal for this fungus. If the branch had stayed in the tree, the fungus would have released its spores high in the air where the wind was more likely to carry them over a greater distance. Now the spores will be released near the ground and will have a much tougher time climbing into the air currents that provide the greatest distribution potential.

Fungal fruiting bodies sometimes go through an odd process to achieve their final shape. These are more the ear shape that is expected of this species.

I’m looking forward to the explosion of fungi that should occur when the weather warms a bit more. For me, part of the allure of the fungi is the fact that it’s so difficult to get them to grow where you want them. I’d love to have a fungi collection growing up near the house where I could watch the progress of various species, but most fungi require specific conditions that are hard to artificially reproduce. I’ll just have to go enjoy the fungi where they happen to grow.