Hollow or rotten trunk is commonly observed in standing old Sal trees. Due to this, wood quality is degraded. A stem borer beetle (Hoplocerambyx spinicornis) is a cause. I got literature on Stem borer bettle.
The hollow stem might be caused by other factors (like age). Are there literature on causes of hollow stem in sal trees? I think enough work has been done in India.
Your help is highly appreciated!
In general, wood rot is caused by many species of fungi. See the following link: http://ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/series600/rpd642/index.html .
I cannot offer anything in particular about Sal trees, but with regard to your observation of a cerambycid being involved I saw something similar in a New Zealand tree, Melicytus ramiflorus. This is a relatively short lived tree and in one habitat I noticed that all the older trees were hollowed out by a wood rot (from a Pholiota fungus) and that the surface of the rot was marked by old cerambycid tunnels. These were from a cerambycid that only tunneled in functional wood. I deduced that the larval tunnels exposed the inner wood to the entry of rot fungi which quickly spread and that the hollow formed due to the entry of invertebrates and later to small mammals or lizards. The initial cerambycid tunnels occur in center of young stems so I expect as the tree grew further tunnels were made outside the initial tunnel, always proceeding the ever widening rot. Eventually the tree would start to break up, major branches and even the trunk.
There are literatures available on fungal diseases of sal/ root rot of sal in India. One of such fungus is Polyporus shoreae.
Check the following links:
http://www.indianforester.co.in/index.php/indianforester/article/view/24823
https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/22378869?selectedversion=NBD24418652
http://www.worldcat.org/title/fungal-diseases-of-sal-shorea-robusta-gaertn-part-3-the-root-rot-disease-of-sal-due-to-polyporus-shoreae-wakef-partridge-wood-rot/oclc/226041638
Dear Subhasankar sir,
Thank you for the link. Unfortunately, i could not access any. May I request you for electronic copy of the articles. Also, do you have idea on similar cases of stem? Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Lila
Dear Lila,
during field work in Sal forests in the Siwaliks in Nepal we noted that most of the hollow stems originated from frequent fires. Older trees are relatively resistant to surface fire but the younger trees often reacted with open fire scars on the leeward side that subsequently were colonized by different fungi causing the stem rot. Often the wounds were occluded from the outside and the hollow stem was preserved by the surrounding wood and thus persisted also in older trees. Also we assumed that Hoplocerambyx spinicornis is colonizing Sal mainly after fire weakened the trees, but I am not sure about that.
Hope this helps!
Daniel
Dear Daniel Kraus Thank you very much for sharing your research findings. Your study looks great. Yes, fire could be a very important driver for this.
Regards,
Lila
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Geoscience
- Asia
- India