Dead beech tree

[robgraham]

Yes I know this is possibly a bit OT, but DIY'ing one's own logs makes it OK ... I think.

Anyway I noticed late last summer that a beech tree nearby had suddenly gone brown - all the leaves had died. So I mentally marked it for a request to the local farmer for permission to fell it this year for logs. The 'felling' part has proved to be unnecessary as nature has brought it down for me - the farmer is now complaining of course as it damaged his fencing.

What puzzles me is that the tree appears to have died from the roots up in that there is really very little root ball and the roots have broken off pretty close to the bole. The tree is mature (30 inch diameter) but there's no rot. It could have been caused by the dry summer but there is a burn close by.

Anybody got an explanation as I would have expected the dead tree to have stood for some time before falling and there to be significant ground damage when it did come down.

Rob

[R]

Does it look like it had

[robgraham]

standing and I wasn't aware of anything when I was logging this afternoon, but it might well be that such lesions will have disappeared once the tree died. It does have a canker on it which is more like a elm burr which I'll investigate for turning.

I've been onto the Forestry Commission website and they have a contact number for this condition - fortunately I live only half a dozen miles out of Edinburgh so should be able to get an answer quickly.

Thanks for answering - pretty unlikely it is this I suspect but at least I'll get a professional answer on why the tree did die so quickly. Can't see this pleasing the farmer either !.

Rob

[The Natural Philosopher]

Could be fungal, could be lightning strike.

We walk the woods pretty regularly. Loads of trees that have fungal attack simply snap off at the base..

Or as you have, the lateral roots have gone and it just uproots.

Its good firewood, is beech.