Relationship between Trees and Fungi
We all know that trees live in and draw most of their nutrients from the soil, but how many tree professionals are taught to stop to think about the rooting environment and how this affects the health of the tree?
For the last century arboriculture and forestry have focused on the visible above-ground tree, but as in agriculture, the soil rooting environment should be the first port of call for all practitioners involved in tree care.
Treework Environmental Practice’s next seminar in June focuses on soil ecology as the basis for tree health, as opposed to focusing on pests and diseases, inputs and outputs and agrichemical solutions. It will also explore how to create a meaningful dialogue between adherents to the inputs-outputs and eco-system models.
“Understanding the soil rooting environment should be the first port of call for all practitioners involved in tree care,” says Neville Fay, Treeworks Environmental Practice Senior Consultant and architect of the seminar series. In his opinion arboriculture to date has been ‘poorly served by science’ with regard to the soil. “Arborists are expected to spend large amounts of money on trunk decay investigation devices yet there is no available conventional toolkit for looking at the soil as a matter of routine.”
Seminar speakers
Once again Treeworks Environmental Practice has trawled for the world’s best authorities for its conference, and we are proud to announce our list of eminent speakers:
Dr Alan Rayner, University of Bath
One of today’s leading mycologists and author of Degrees of Freedom, Dr Rayner will lecture on the symbiotic relationship between trees and fungi, asking “What does it really mean to be a healthy tree? What is a diseased tree? And what do fungi have to do with tree health? And how might our answers depend on the environmental context in which we are considering them?”
Professor Clive Edwards, Ohio State University
A world authority on earthworms (his book The Biology and Ecology of Earthwormsis going into its fourth edition) Professor Edwards will look at earthworms as indicators of soil quality and productivity, and their role in maintaining a functioning ecosystem including soil aeration, drainage, quality, and biodiversity. and their use in bioremediation.
Dr Lee Klinger, Independent Scientist, California
Maverick scientist Dr Klinger is renowned for his innovative thinking. His practice, Sudden Oak Life, is making important inroads to combating the cull of oaks in coastal California. Klinger challenges the accepted belief that the climax state for a woodland area is ancient old growth forest, proffering the view that peatland is the true climax state.
Dr Ken Thompson, University of Sheffield
Renowned seed expert and ecologist at the University of Sheffield, Dr Thompson will be asking ‘why do trees fail’ from an ecologist’s point of view. He points out that “If we compare the early lives of trees in cities with those in natural habitats, it's not hard to see why the former so often don't make it.”
Other speakers include Professor David Cutler, President of the Linnean Society, Dr Vinodh Krishnamurthy of Laverstoke Park on soil testing, Dr Olaf Ribeiro, Ribeiro from Seattle on why he always uses soil analysis and Dr Declan Barraclough of the Environment Agency on the relationship between soil properties and tree health.
Background to Treeworks Environmental Practice
Treework Environmental Practice is the industry-leading arboricultural and ecological consultancy providing high quality services to clients throughout the UK. Treeworks Environmental Practice is an established and reputable practice which prides itself on its innovative approach to arboriculture, pioneering new approaches to safeguard trees and their habitats for future generations. Treeworks Environmental Practice invests in improving industry awareness and understanding of the health, structure and condition of trees.
For over 20 years Treeworks Environmental Practice has worked with a variety of industries including landowners, construction, government, landscape architecture and arboriculture. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, we target our expertise to ensure rapid solutions, resolving conflicts between planning, design and habitat conservation.
Neville Fay, Treeworks Environmental Practice’s principal consultant, is founder of Tree Aid and Chairman and one of the founding members of the Ancient Tree Forum. He is renowned in the tree world for pioneering the practices of conservation arboriculture and veteran tree management.
First launched in 2005, the Treework Environmental Practice seminar series has been developed in consultation with partners including the Arboricultural Association, DARM (Centre for Decision Analysis and Risk Management) at Middlesex University and the Institute of Chartered Foresters.
The Seminar Series transfers knowledge between disciplines and understanding between professions with allied interests. It also explores innovative developments from overseas and introduces knowledge that is not widely or well understood in the UK.
The Treeworks Environmental Practice Seminar Series:
• explores innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding environmental processes, tree health, structure, condition and knowledge to enhance decision-making and conservation practice
• introduces developments from beyond the UK affecting the field of arboriculture, ecology and conservation
• improves understanding of modern arboricultural and environmental science to better inform management practice.
Speakers come from a range of disciplines and are invited to present their knowledge within the context of the seminar theme and their fellow contributors.
This seminar is held on 30 June 2009 at the Linnean Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BF.
There are limited places available and the cost is £220 per person.
Visit:
http://www.treeworks.co.uk/
Book online:
http://www.treeworks-
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
