Tree health

I actually spotted these fungi on a walk prior to my Solstice-sit. They used to be called Jew's Ears, for some racially suspect reason. Now I think they are Jelly Ears.

These are on a dead elder. The elders don't seem to do well. The soil is acidic, which should suit them, so maybe it's drought stress and/or disease.

In fact, here's another that bit the dust.

I was rather taken by the roots.

I wonder if the issue is related to what makes the oaks here so liable to acute oak decline and the sycamores so likely to struggle with sooty bark disease. There is run off from the fields, but I would not have thought that would have harmed the elder so much. Hmmm... that could be the case... I read that:

Agricultural Runoff: The runoff from agricultural fields is a likely major contributor to the plants' stress and death. Runoff can contain high levels of pesticides, herbicides, or excessive fertilizers and salts, which can poison the shrub, causing toxicity symptoms such as leaf necrosis, branch dieback, and eventual death. Elder is a nitrogen-tolerant plant and often grows near farms, but high concentrations of various agricultural chemicals can still be harmful.

I have seen elder thrive in other field hedgerows... but maybe it's the fact these are on the lower slopes of a hill and too much residue is reaching them.

While I was in the wood, I saw a lot of fungal growth on two of the trees with AOD. One was covered in little orange/yellow fungi, another with white strands. Both of these species are common on dead wood - judging by their presence elsewhere. I sent them off to Forestry Research.

Oh, and I got a calendar from the Woodland Trust: I am one of their top ten reporters!