Trees are ecosystems themselves. They are highly complex organisms having relationships with numerous bacteria, fungi, and animals that provide mutualism, hydrological services, and foundational ecological functions.
When I first entered arboriculture, coming from a world of formal taxonomy and science based research, I was surprised to see the average arborist not utilizing the wealth of scientific information about trees and tree health to perform work in an educated fashion, work that better serves the customer, the trees, and the ecosystem. That's where Sierra Tree and Fungi came in. I started assisting friends and colleagues in educating them on the latest research on trees and how we could better support healthy ecosystems that depend on symbiotic fungi to maintain healthy trees and healthy forests.
I Bring Scientific Perspective to Arboriculture
Everything we recommend, everything we do, is based on ISA best management practices or the most relevant scientific literature available on the subject. I only base my recommendations on ISA best management practices or current scientific literature. I don't provide guesswork. I am not repeating long dispelled myths about trees. I am here to provide a higher level of education to my clients, fellow arborists, and the communities I serve as a whole.
Understanding Fungal Ecology in Trees
Trees accumulate fungal relationships throughout their lives. Endophytic fungi live within the plant tissues from the acorn stage onward, growing with the tree as it develops. As trees mature, they accumulate both endophytic fungi and mycorrhizal fungi, which help them procure water, micronutrients, nitrogen, and phosphorus from the soil.
Some of these endophytes become wood decay fungi. Later in a tree's life, they work to degrade old wood, sometimes causing structural issues, but sometimes removing unused heartwood and providing the tree with nutrients that were locked up in the heartwood and lignin. Fungi are complex organisms that act more as a system than as individual agents in the landscape.
Diagnosis Over Blind Treatment
Knowing how fungi play a role and properly identifying fungi is critical to understanding tree health. We must determine whether a fungus is an aggressive wood decay organism, a saprotroph, or a beneficial symbiote to the tree. We cannot use broad spectrum fungicides whenever we see a problem, and we cannot move forward in arboriculture without prescriptive tree care. That means properly diagnosing the problem first.