PiCUS Test For Tree Decay 

Trees have co-evolved with many of the pests and diseases that they encounter throughout the course of their life and created various methods of countering the possible problems that can be experienced. These range from the production of thorns to additional chemicals created in their leaves to deter a browsing animal through to their ability to sense stresses in their structure resulting in the production of additional wood to stabilise themselves.

Fungi is a good example of a biological agent encountered by many trees which can have a varied impact depending on the type of fungi and the tree itself. Some fungi form symbiotic relationships with trees and can be beneficial such as Mycorrhizas, however, there are many fungi which can causes wood decay, although this decay is a natural part of a tree’s life cycle. Wood decay is the degradation and dismantling of cell structures within the wood that can lead to failures of parts or all of a tree, conversely a tree can co-exist with such decay fungi for decades and not be considered an unacceptable risk. Understanding how the wood is degraded and being able to estimate as accurately as possible the cavity formation and the loss of wood strength is key to the retention of trees within our streets, parks, and gardens whilst being confident that their structures have not been significantly compromised by any decay that is occurring.