I thought I would kick off my first woodland blog with a large beech tree felled this week. This tree was planted probably 100 or so years ago, perhaps even more - the site is chalky and free draining on a hill which can lead to slower growth so appearance can be deceptive!
This particular beech had its death warrant signed due to its vicinity to the road. The canopy had been thinning due to an extended drought in the region which drew my attention to large cracks along one side of the tree.
After taking the tree down to a 5m standing pole to retain some deadwood habitat for wildlife, the extent of the issues with the tree can be seen in the cross section below.
Small cracks within the tree caused the tree to increase growth around the wood (see points 1 and 3 on the photo above). This is the tree's defence mechanism trying to strengthen a weak point. This is a sign of a tree wanting to survive and in a normal woodland setting well away from roads or property the tree would have been left well alone.
Just look at the stunning patterns revealed in the wood though. You couldn't ask for more inspiration!
P.S. If anyone is having any problems clicking through to reading these blogs or the images are coming up as pixelated or blurry, I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know. Everything seems to be working on most devices but there seem to be a few instances where it isn't working too well, so it would be great to have any feedback from you on this. Thank you!
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