Seminar XIII
Trees, Roots, Fungi, Soil (Part 2)
Towards a model of good soil practice for arboriculture
30th June 2009
Linnean Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BF
There is much to be gained from an effective dialogue between ecology and arboriculture if we are to reach a meaningful understanding of health and pathogenicity in relation to soil and roots.
Understanding the soil rooting environment should be the first port of call for all practitioners involved in tree care. Arboriculture to date has been poorly served by ‘science’ with regard to the soil. While there is common use of expensive trunk decay investigation devices, there is no available conventional toolkit for looking at the soil as a matter of routine.
Without a clear understanding of functioning soil ecology, there is no ecological basis for restoration, where tree stress implies problems with the soil. One consequence of this is a focus on pests and diseases, inputs and outputs and agrichemical solutions. This seminar explored these themes and the prospects for a meaningful dialogue between adherents to the inputs-outputs and eco-system models.
Speakers
- Professor David Cutler, President of the Linnean Society
Welcome and Introduction
- Dr Alan Rayner
The Dynamic Relationship of Trees and Fungi: Symbiosis and pathology - Dr Ken Thompson, University of Sheffield
If Trees Could Speak, What Would They Be Trying to Tell Us? An ecologist wonders why trees fail
- Dr Vinodh Krishnamurthy, Laverstoke Park
An Organic Diagnostic Model: Testing soils, understanding functioning, managing deficiencies
- Dr Lee Klinger, Independent Scientist and Consultant, California
Forest Vegetation and Soil Succession: The natural process of change
- Dr Olaf Ribeiro, Ribeiro Tree Evaluations Inc, Seattle
Notes from a Soil Laboratory: Soil analysis first, treatment of trees second (pathogenicity and remediation)
- Prof Clive Edwards Ohio State University
Understanding Earthworms: Indicators of soil quality and productivity and their use in bioremediation
- Dr Declan Barraclough, Environment Agency
G. K. Chesterton and the Soil Problem: Is there a relation between soil properties and tree health?
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I had a strong sense of history, both in the making and in the breaking, as I prepared for my contribution on ‘Fungus-Tree Relationships’in the very room where Darwin & Wallace’s paper on the ‘origin of species’ was first presented. My anxiety was not dispelled when David Cutler warned all speakers that Darwin’s eyes would be following them, from his enormous portrait on the wall! For I knew that the key message I wished to get across is that we need to move on from the habit of thinking about trees,
fungi and indeed all life forms as if they are self-centred objects, subject to the selective influence of external force, if we want to evolve more sensitive and sensible ways of working with them in the dynamic context of the complex, variable, fluid neighbourhoods they truly and naturally inhabit. I also knew that practitioners who work with real life are intuitively already all too aware of this truth, yet may find it difficult to be explicit about as they struggle with standardized rules,
regulations and formulae imposed by an objective mindset fearful of uncertainty. In the event, I felt the human warmth of the audience and other speakers as this key message resonated, explicitly or implicitly, in their responses and subsequent presentations. Maybe we began to change the course of history together.”
Comment by Alan Rayner — 30 July 2009 @ 8:37 pm
I was very happy about the predominance of papers investigating the complex interaction of soil ecology and its relationship to the tree and how this information can then be used on a practical level in Arboriculture management.
For me this was the highlight of TEP Seminar XIII meeting and the message was very clear that we should no longer ignore the continuum of flow form energy that exist between the soil life and the tree health.
Comment by Vinodh Krishnamurthy — 3 August 2009 @ 4:21 pm
It was a great privilege to be invited to speak at the Treeworks Environmental Practice Seminar XIII held in the Linnean Society Rooms, Picadilly, London on June 30 2009, ‘Trees, Roots, Fungi, Soil (Part 2)’. I am someone who researched the soil aspects of tree ecology earlier in my career, but in more recent years has been much more involved in soil ecological aspects of agriculture and environmental ecotoxicology so it was very rewarding to be introduced so clearly by the speakers to the broad spectrum of problems affecting a broad range of trees in the U.K.
A very impressive array of speakers from very diverse and interdisciplinary backgrounds had been recruited to outline the diverse problems that are currently facing the health of U.K. woodlands in a broad context. Since I am a soil ecologist, with extensive experience in earthworm ecology, I welcomed the opportunity to emphasize the importance of soil organisms, and the dynamic processes that they influence, in promoting tree health. I hope that I was able to impart to the Seminar participants the important contributions of soil microorganisms and soil-inhabiting invertebrates in maintaining soil fertility and contributing to tree growth. I also hope that I was able to impart to the participants, the potential of relatively simple inputs, such as the addition of lime to woodlands or inoculating earthworms, in influencing long-term tree health.
I hope that the proposed Part 3 Seminar will continue to emphasize further the strong links between trees health and the soil.
Comment by Clive A. Edwards — 7 August 2009 @ 10:07 am
I’m pleased to hear that the experience of those attending the conference was positive. I certainly learned a lot and met some interesting people.
My contribution was very simple: as an ecologist with no particular professional experience of trees, I approached the topic from first principles. My rather surprising conclusion was that, from a purely ecological perspective, tree planting seems to be getting a lot of basic things wrong, so that I’m not at all surprised by the number of recently-planted dead trees I see. Sometimes I can see good practical reasons for current practice (e.g. planting trees that are too large), but there seems no excuse for not properly protecting tree roots from desiccation and newly-planted trees from competition.
Comment by Ken Thompson — 7 August 2009 @ 10:10 am
I thoroughly enjoyed this and the previous seminar, both of which I found to be refreshingly stimulating.I agree the need for and importance of, looking at tree management in a more holistic manner. Unfortunately, as with many good ideas, they are often hampered by the inflexibility and counter productivity of the systems we operate in. In my case,and I suspect in many other local authorities, the need to balance best practice with an ever decreasing financial budget constantly requires a certain amount of trade-off.Long term benefits play second fiddle to short term financial pressures. It would be nice to think that this will change and I suspect it will in time, but in the meantime we need to persevere and not be afraid of challenging well established misconceptions. I believe that organisations such as the Arb. Assn. and the ISA have a role to play in educating the wider public as it is only through education that things will eventually change. In the meantime, I look forward to the 3rd seminar with anticipation.
Comment by Steve Maros — 17 August 2009 @ 2:26 pm
I feel very fortunate and privileged to be part of a seminar series that devoted a substantial amount of time to soil ecology in relation to tree health. Since getting back to the States, I have been kept extremely busy with various tree issues. The central theme of much of the problems I encounter are related to the tree below ground. It is an area that is still lacking good science-based information that would help the general practitioner understand the nature of soil problems that result in tree stress. In most cases, the practicing arborist is left with no recourse other than using an intuitive approach to resolving tree/soil issues. The impact of soil treatments on soil microbes and soil fauna need to be considered before attempting any remedial work. More harm than good often results from using the wrong “amendment (s)”. I realize local regulations and constraints placed on what one can do in any one specific case often result in a compromise in tree care. However, we are now slowly turning the tide in favor of the tree.
This seminar series has been a valuable resource in pointing out the current state of tree/soil interactions. I hope it has made arborists aware that examining soil and roots is an essential component of trying to decipher visual above ground symptoms. As a result of attending some of these seminar series, I decided to offer a one day course in my lab (limited to 10 arborists at a time), to understand how to look at soil and roots and also seeing the practical implications of using various amendments on tree health. The response thus far has been very good despite the fact that this course is not publicly advertised, indicating that there is indeed a need for this type of information.
I would be most interested in getting feedback from arborists as to what they would like to see in a one-day practical course on the tree below ground. Hopefully, together with Treeworks, we can come up with a field program that can be offered throughout the UK and elsewhere that would have utility for the practicing arborist.
I look forward to a new era where novel insights into how a tree functions will lead to an understanding on how better to perform “interference management” together with its various its ramifications when dealing with tree health.
Comment by Olaf Ribeiro — 17 August 2009 @ 11:58 pm
I am sorry to have missed this one. Any chance on bringing this program to the states?
Comment by Zeb Haney — 3 September 2009 @ 5:04 am
Tep are going to have a tough time topping the last seminar on fungi/soil, I am already looking forward to the next instalment. Alan rayners key speach was inspirational and has very much opened my mind to some radical theories and perspectives.
These seminars are more than just good old CPD, much, much more than this. more than enlightening, very inspiring, and thought chalenging.
How can the arboricultural proffesion fail to gain respect from the other industries we lag behind with events like this?
TEP continue to put the edge on “cutting edge”
Comment by antony croft — 10 September 2009 @ 8:04 pm