Whats wrong with the beech?

[Ben Williams]

Has anyone got any ideas about what might be ailing this beech? It hasn't come into leaf fully this year but on inspection in the spring there were no signs of deadwood or decay in the crown or anywhere on the stem. I could see some small isolated branches lower dow which have come into leaf and died off this summer which suggests they have been girdled quite recently. Whatever has happened to it has happened very quickly. Had a good look around the base and I found some fungus that I've identified as Lacrymaria lacrymabunda which are not parasitic, no signs of any other bracket fungus or old fruiting bodies. Nothing else in its habitat seems to have changed i.e. soil levels/root damage and its in a row of about 8 other very healthy beech trees. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Jason Douglas]

I would need some closer and better pics if you have them.

Any other beech nearby?

 

[Ben Williams]

Everything in the photo is beech apart from the ornamental larch in the foreground. Haven't had a chance to have a climb to inspect the die back up close. Just looking for ideas I guess. One possibility I thought about is that it may have some other parasitic fungus like giant polypore which wouldn't have fruiting bodies until autumn

 

[Jason Douglas]

I ask because the trunk looks a bit distorted, as if it is decayed, but I can't see well from the pic.