Fungal communities in veteranised oak branches are not a replacement for naturally occurring dead wood communities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Veteranisation is a promising management technique for dead wood creation at sites where dead wood, and ancient and veteran tree abundance is limited; it aims to replicate the microhabitats associated with ancient and veteran trees in younger trees by controlled physical damage of woody tissues. Five veteranisation treatments were applied, using a chainsaw, to healthy branches within the crowns of three mature oak trees. Treatments consisted of variations of cambium girdling, lopping, and lopping with girdling in combination; in addition, two branches that had died naturally were selected from each tree for comparison. Veteranised branches were harvested after 14 months. The fungal community composition was determined in different parts of the branch and their 3-dimensional structure mapped in representative branches. Stereum gausapatum was the most frequently isolated basidiomycete from veteranised branches, which occurred in all treatment types. The most commonly isolated ascomycete of veteranised branches was Ophiostoma quercus, which caused distinctive pockets of discoloured wood and was associated with half girdle treatments. There were significant differences in fungal species composition between veteranised branches and branches that had died naturally. This compositional difference may influence the development of later stage fungal communities, managers must consider these community compositional differences when prescribing veteranisation.