Help Identify Disease or Something

[memetic]

I was at a job yesterday and I noticed all the trees on this guys huge property had these weird blotches. It looked like the trees had been shot with a paintball gun, but instead of paint it was mold or something. The circular spots were different kinds of colors: bluish, whitish, greenish. The spots are about up to three inches in diameter, some smaller. I am guessing they start small and get bigger.

The spots are on all types of species of tree.

The maple trees we worked on had the spots and were almost dead, but they also had little reddish bumps on the leaves. Not sure if that is related.

All the the trees that had the mold paintball spots are dead or are becoming dead.

There is some low-land that is marsh-like with reeds growing in it where some of the trees are, so it is a damp environment. But not all trees with the spots are in the marshy area.

I don't have any pictures handy, but I can try to get some ASAP if someone needs them to help me.

BTW, this is in CT.

Thanks

 

[memetic]

Please?

 

[memetic]

Here are some pictures. Please anyone who has seen this before please speak up.

I had to make the pics small to post them, if anyone needs bigger, better resolution shots, please let me know. PM me and I will email you better shots.

Thanks to anyone who can help with this.

 

[appalachianarbo]

Lichen. Occurs everywhere and is harmless.

 

[Ted-RI]

Definitely lichen. Not bad for trees or anything I can think of. No need to worry about it.

 

[Dadatwins]

looks like lichens and some moss in the pictures, very common in wooded areas. It is a sign of a damp shaded environment but not a 'killer' of trees. More likely suspect would be the swampy area the trees are growing in, was the area recently filled in or drainage diverted? Trees need oxygen in the ground for the roots to grow, and swamps do not offer much.

 

[memetic]

Thank you everyone!

The only change that I know of is the owner had a pond dug in the corner of the property and the diggers hit a spring that filled the pond in minutes. Other than that, I don't think there were any changes on the site.

The thing is that the lichen problem is all over the back side of his property where the wetlands are. That's where all the trees are dying. Even though you all say the lichens aren't killing the trees (which I believe you) those are the trees that are the hardest hit and dying most rapidly. It must be the ground conditions there contributing to both.

Dadatwins, now that I know the lichens aren't hurting the trees, I think you are right on. Maybe that is where the roots are also not getting enough oxygen? The thing is, the property behind this guy's lot is power company lands with huge transformers and lines etc. Who knows what they might have done. I will talk to the homeowner to see if he noticed them doing any work recently.

Again, Thank You All.

 

[appalachianarbo]

I will talk to the homeowner to see if he noticed them doing any work recently.

Doesn't necessarily have to be recent. Root zone damage/changes don't always show up immediately. It could have been something done years ago.

A large change in soil moisture could definitely be a big problem here, but that's just speculation.

 

[memetic]

Thanks. I'll be sure to ask him about a time frame of years. They never even noticed the lichens (when I pointed them out they said, "oh wow, look at that."). So, I have my doubts about them noticing something occurring years ago on the property behind them. At least I am informed thanks to you fine people.

I just want to do what I can to help them save the trees if possible, even though if they die I will be there for a HUGE job. But, I would rather see them save the trees if possible. It's not always about the money.

Not sure what can be done if the root conditions have become poor (for the existing trees). I am guessing that even if they plant new trees they will not succeed, unless they are the type bred or evolved to deal with this type of condition.

Thanks

 

[booboo]

Actually lichens are a good thing. They are an indicator of good air quality, don't survive in areas of heavy air pollution, I forget which compound they are particularly sensitive to.

 

[Pete M]

Lichen definitely harmless. But high voltage transformers/power lines have been linked (though not conclusively) with leukaemia - but don't think this affects trees! But, if any transformers on the site have been damaged at any time, and the cooling oil (in the past high in poly-chlorinated biphenols) has leaked, then there is potential for contamination of the ground and damage to anything growing in it. Might be worth the HO contacting the EPA and asking them to look into it further.

Pete Millis
BSc Env Sci and Management

 

[b1rdman]

The thing is that the lichen problem is all over the back side of his property where the wetlands are. That's where all the trees are dying. Even though you all say the lichens aren't killing the trees (which I believe you) those are the trees that are the hardest hit and dying most rapidly. It must be the ground conditions there contributing to both.

When tree growth slows the bark becomes a much more hospitable environment compared to faster growing trees. Thus, the lichen on less healthy trees thrive in comparison to their brethren on health specimens.

It's easy to read too much into the accumulation of lichen on "sick" trees but it's only an indicator of something else going on.

 

[JeffL]

Did the new spring-fed pond make any dramatic changes to the water table in the area?

 

[memetic]

Thanks everyone. I figured it out thanks to Dadatwins earlier post. When Dadatwins wrote this it made me think:

"More likely suspect would be the swampy area the trees are growing in, was the area recently filled in or drainage diverted?"

I spoke with the HO and he told me that they just changed/installed brand new transformers and towers that hold everything up (these things are huge).

What I think happened is they built up the land along the path that they were installing the towers (probably to get trucks and equipment in). This HO happened to live in an area with a relatively flat marshy area in the back of his property (where all the towers pass through). So now, there is a huge chunk of land built through the middle of it that is draining/shedding water both ways off of it and the water is coming in much closer to the HO's property, thus killing all his trees.

Thank you very much Dadatwins. Remind me to send you a check because:

The HO is going to contact the proper agency and if everything works out (ie he doesn't have to pay for all/any of it) I am going to have a sweet arse contract clearing his entire rear lot (which is about an acre packed with dying trees) and planting new trees that love water. He is hiring us to write a report and whatever else he needs.

"When tree growth slows the bark becomes a much more hospitable environment compared to faster growing trees. Thus, the lichen on less healthy trees thrive in comparison to their brethren on health specimens."

And thanks for that b1rdman, because I just walked in from a job that was taking down a dead maple (2-3 years dead) and it was covered with lichens. But nothing around it was. I was trying to figure out why. Thanks to you I am a little bit smarter - and I didn't have to upload all the pics I took and post another question.

Again, thanks everyone!

 

[Dadatwins]

Here is some info on construction damage to trees, good luck with your project.
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/avoiding_construction.aspx

 

[memetic]

Thanks again Dadatwins.

 

[memetic]

Well, the HO got a second opinion from a local arborist company (I will not name names). One of their arborists came out and told the HO that all the trees were infected by the DED. I tried to call him, but their company shuts down at 4pm - must be nice.

Am I ignant, or does DED only effect Elms? Cause I swear whatever it is is killing all species (and I don't think there are elms on the property anyway).

I still think it has something to do with what dadatwins mentioned that led to my discovery of the electrical company changing the wetlands.

Anyway, now we get to clear the property and plant new trees.

 

[Dadatwins]

Well, the HO got a second opinion from a local arborist company (I will not name names). One of their arborists came out and told the HO that all the trees were infected by the DED. I tried to call him, but their company shuts down at 4pm - must be nice.

Am I ignant, or does DED only effect Elms? Cause I swear whatever it is is killing all species (and I don't think there are elms on the property anyway).

I still think it has something to do with what dadatwins mentioned that led to my discovery of the electrical company changing the wetlands.

Anyway, now we get to clear the property and plant new trees.

DED does only affect elms, hence the name dutch ELM disease caused by the ELM bark beetle, anyone claiming a species other than elm has it needs some help. Good luck with the electric company covering the cost and accepting liability for the grade change, any chance of some pictures and documentation showing healthy trees before the grade change and the situation now will be extremely helpful.

 

[memetic]

I have nothing about past conditions. I'll see if the HO has some. I just have a lot of shots of current conditions, some of which I already posted in this thread. Let me see what I can do. Thanks again.

 

[Lawnmowerboy48]

Not necessarily the case in this instance, but to all of you be aware of how power companies and railroads treat the right of way to control vegetation. From what I know power companies tend to be more diligent with their applications and are closely monitored by post treatment air surveillance. Trains on the other hand are pretty indiscriminate in to what they spray along the tracks. The effects of the treatment are intended to be local to the desired area. However, as we all know, nothing is perfect and there can be drift of the herbicide to areas that were not meant to be treated.