Discoloration following bark stripping wounds on Fraxinus excelsior

Abstract

SummaryA total of 101 Fraxinus excelsior trees 8–32 cm in d.b.h. with bark stripping wounds caused by Alces alces and Cervus elaphus in Lithuania were cut, dissected and examined. The injuries ranged in age from 5 to 18 years, when the trees were 22–40 years old and were in the size range 6–24 cm d.b.h. For 5‐10 years old wounds, the mean length of associated wood discoloration was 804 × 201 cm, while in 16–18 years old wounds it was 912 × 144 cm. There was no correlation between wound age and extent of discoloration in the stems examined (r = 0.11). Tree d.b.h. and wound size (initial width × length) were correlated with the extent of discoloration (r = 0.43 and r = 0.20, respectively). The presence of complete wound occlusion had no significant effect on the length of columns of discoloration associated with wounds of 10 or more years old. The average occlusion rate during the first 10 years was 128 × 28 mm or 13 mm/year, correlating positively with the radial increment (r = 0.42). Amongst a total of 500 F. excelsior trees with wounds, 29 trees (5.8%) bore basidiomycete fruiting bodies. Most common was Phellinus punctatus, found on 12 (2.4%) stems, followed by Coniophora puteana (1.6%), Peniophora limitata (0.4%) and Datronia mollis (0.4%). Fungi most commonly isolated from discoloured wood were ascomycetes Phaeoacremonium rubrigenum, Phialophora malorum, Hypoxylon rubiginosum, Coniothyrium sporulosum, Libertella spp., Ophiostoma sp., and basidiomycetes Ischnoderma benzoinum, Ischnoderma resinosum, Tyromyces sp.