Don't take this to the bank until you study it farthar making sure I'm correct. Look's like Lichen,a harmless growth. You will notice it more in shady areas and side oppisite sun because it thrives on moisture in the air,unlike mistletoe which take's water and nuturent directly from host,destroy all mistletoe in winter because it will eventually weaken tree. I would leave Lichen alone because it harm's nothing and supports various lifeforms. Now let's discuss this hunting business co-existing with forging and hiking. Set up a solar powered/timed feeder with corn,milo and/or other grain. Sit still as possible next to/under low growing plants(or buy inexpensive pop-up blind) to observe any movement on ground and trees. Daybreak and dusk are productive for small bird size and larger creatures year around, smaller creatures adjust movement according to tempature and seasons. Hopfully both of you begain hunting with cameras after discovering there are more opertunities than with firearm. Besides,you will soon name everthing on the 17 acres and who want's to kill Jumpy Jim or Busy Betty? If you have one or more posionus snakes(you might have none) residing in your emediate area,learn to identify them. Don't attempt to identify anything other than those that might harm you,there is simply too many that are harmless and you will only become confused.

I like klem's kind of hunting, and recommend it.

Can lichen be that colour? If it is lichen, then I would leave it alone. The only lichen that I have known to be lichen is a milky green. And yes, on the shadey side of the trunks. Can be lovely and in fact I photographed some the other day.

I'm sure those are lichens. Absolutely harmless and a wildlife habitat. If you are into foraging research dying with lichens. In damp climates pretty much every tree has them and so do walls, paving stones, sheds in fact most things which gather a little organic debris and don't move. There are hundreds of species in many colours.

I must admit, lichen didn't enter my mind because it's not ON the bark, it's more that it IS the bark. It was very uniform and was as though the bark had been - well, the best word I can think of is dried out - when I broke off a small piece of bark, the white goes all the way through and the bark is more porous, as though the bark itself had been transformed, not like anything is growing on the surface of it, which I guess is what I always think of when I think of lichen.

As for the rest, folks we're country people who have been misplaced in town for the last 20+ years. My husband spent his childhood on a farm and my parent's had 180 acres and a farm until I was in my 20's. We know wildlife. We know snakes. I love mushrooms and wild berries and just taking walks in the woods. My husband has always deer hunted with friends and relatives when he had a place to do so. I'm certainly not talking about shooting things to stuff them and hang them on the wall or just because it sounds like fun. When my husband manages to go hunting, it goes in our freezer. I appreciate your advice on the trees, but don't be judge-y.

We'll go down there once a month or so, more if we can manage. It's too far away from where we work for the commute to be reasonable, so we don't intend to live on this property any time soon. After retirement, we might build a small home. So, we want our little woodlands to be properly cared for and maintained until then. That's why I came to you folks for answers on a possible problem with our trees. I appreciate any input on that subject very much.

Where are you located? That looks like a forest of Green Ash which in many parts of the northeast and midwest are being systematically killed by the introduced Emerald Ash Borer.

We're in mid-Missouri. I'm pretty sure those are oak trees. What few wrinkled leaves were on them did not look like ash at all. They weren't compound leaves.

Yes, they look vaguely "oakish". No genus of trees is completely free of pest/disease issues, and for oaks, oak wilt springs to mind immediately, let alone such nuisances as gypsy moth. But that has nothing to do with the lichens, nor is there any particular reason to think-at this time-that there is any overriding issue with these trees.

Some lichens grow in the sun.

Here's some on south facing columnar basalt near Sprague, Washington.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i283/Botann/Vacation%20pictures/2300626090036511179.jpg

Mike

Absolutely. It was not I who said they grow only in shade. Heck, rocks sitting in full sun nearly always have lichen growing on them, so long as people don't climb said rocks and continually wear the stuff away. Lichens are among the very toughest of plants in the world, existing well beyond the Arctic Circle, for example. Reindeer subsist largely on lichens.

But yeah for sure, they will grow in sun and shade.

And don't forget those lichens growing on roof tiles, they can be a real nuisance even if the roof is totally exposed to the sun.

I'm intrigued. What nuisance does lichen on roof tiles cause?

There are a lot of scamming companies currently trying tp persuade home-owners that the moss and lichen represents a danger to roof tiles - especially in Norfolk where clay pantiles are in common usage. They offer a sort of painted on surfacing (fairly sure it is just floorpaint with added pesticides)....Roof Doctor for example...and at around £7000 a time, this is a nasty con which people are falling for..And then there are those deadly lethal houseleeks...

I agree w/the OP, at least w/the pics provided, looks like it IS the bark, not lichen. I've seen this on forest trees, but not sure what the cause is (maybe just the outermost skin of the bark has come off revealing a lighter color). Still, I don't see any problem per say.

Do a search for 'smooth patch' on oaks.

Was working from home, earlier, when I posted that... keyboard sticking courtesy of my wife pouring a glass of wine&strawberries in it made typing a response difficult.. I don't know for sure that it's smooth patch, and I'll admit that it's not exactly what I typically see & associate with that condition, but it should be on the list for consideration

Could be...although lab work would be the best source for confirmation, since most features of this fungus are decidedly microscopic. The good news-if it is this-is that it is a non-virulent pathogen, feeding primarily on dead outer bark.

Lab confirmation required.

Saw much advertising while down in SW. Florida in January for tile roof "redo". I'll bet it has to do with what Camp speaks of here. Hey it's Florida. What better place for scams?

Okay! That smooth patch looks very likely! At least in the early stages, since the bark hadn't started falling off.

We've learned out Department of Conservation will come with you to your woodlands and give you pointers on managing it for trees and wildlife. My husband is going to contact them soon and have an agent come out. We're thinking of doing a few things, thinning some small trees, perhaps damming a small wet-weather creek for a pond, etc... Obviously we'll ask the agent about the health of the trees.

Thanks so much for your input.

"those deadly lethal houseleeks..."

LOL! Camp, that cracked me up!! And first thing in the morning with a swig of fresh coffee in my mouth.....could have done serious damage to the keyboard!

For those in the US who may be unfamiliar with the terminology, houseleeks are the Brit equivalent of hens and chicks (Sempervivums), which are apparently grown on some roofs in the UK.

Obviously sinister little devils........... :-))

lilion

I spent several years in mid-MO back in the early 1990s. Lovely country. MO Dept of Conservation is great! I maintained a subscription to their marvelous publication, 'The Missouri Conservationist', for 20 years after we moved away - great stories, good informative articles, great nature/wildlife photography.

MDC - and all Missourians - re SOOO fortunate that the citizens of Missouri voted, and have reaffirmed in subsequent referenda, to allot a certain % of all sales tax dollars to go to fund MDC function and activities. I had a number of friends who were or still are MDC employees, and the money they had to work with was the envy of other state conservation/fish/wildlife/natural resources entities who traditionally have had to rely upon (ever-diminishing) $$ generated from sale of fishing/hunting licenses and excise taxes on fishing/hunting/outdoor equipment, etc.

Heh Lucky...then there's formerly-leading states like Wisconsin...need I say more? OK then, I will! We-this state-wrote much of the book on conservation. Many ideas later found workable had their start in Wisconsin.

Then-you might've heard-a new breed of politician arrived on the scene, flush with cash from the Koch Bros, born and raised in ALEC ideology. We don't need no stinking conservation here no more! We need timber management by very dumb legislators. We need new rules allowing for the continued destruction of wetlands. What good are they anyway? We need unrestricted-wait, guaranteed access to groundwater, not by Joe Blow and me and other regular state citizens, but by a small handful of mega-farmers who are actually close to succeeding in getting that groundwater guaranteed to them for perpetuity! Lake and stream levels be damned-we've got cows to milk...I mean, we've got tens of thousands of cows to be milked on just one "farm".

If you want to see a state slide from top to bottom-I'm not at all sure why anyone would-look no further than what has happened here. It's shameful, but the perpetrators have no sense of shame.

MDC is indeed controled by foward thinking individuals by today's standards. I have never worked for them but have worked with them a couple of times through TA&M and found the department to be top shelf. In this very thread I shared a bit of philosophy held by MDC and was accused of being "judge-y". By the included lecture I interpitated that to mean judgemental because I told her something she already knew. This is copy and paste of the first three sentences on MDC site under General Species Information.

" Some people have such a dread of snakes that they actually avoid going outdoors to fish, hunt, hike, or picnic. Others kill every snake they see. This is too bad, both for the people who let the fear of snakes keep them from enjoying nature, and for nature itself."

As to relivance,I believe that is a glimpse into one reason it's so difficult to inform many citizens on impending action about to effect citizens. Far too many believe they know and understand all they need to and are therfore insulted you should assume otherwise or simply reiterate important information. How many times have those willing to to hear a person out thought at the begaining,I know what this is about then learn one or more new details? I am in agreement with wisconsitom, heads up and eyes wide open friends,this same show may come to your neighborhood soon.

klem, your obvious disdain of hunting was prompted me to "lecture" - Or am I mistaken and you are in fact an avid hunter? My husband enjoys hunting. I enjoy eating what he hunts. Jumpy Jim is quite tasty.

I've lived in the country more years than in town. But, I'm not an arborist and just wanted to know if anyone thought these trees were in trouble. My post was not intended to open a debate about hunting. I do apologize if I offended you by taking exception to your comments, but I did find them quite judgmental. Truthfully, I really intended to simply point out that we're not just city people who don't know the first thing about hunting and fishing and foraging. Just the opposite in fact.

On the actual subject of this post, my husband did speak to MDC today and was advised that they think it's probably smooth patch. Gold star to Lucky! But we have the name for the local forester who will come out and we'll show her when she comes.

Thank you for your help everyone.

lilion stop,you are shooting at the cavalry,I'm on your side. Avid hunter doesn't accuratly describe me but I hunted since childhood. I taught my children and grandchildren safe and succesful hunting. I shot two feral pigs this winter as I have for several years passed. "Obvious disdian of hunting"? I think not. I'm passionate about conservation and preservation of habitate and wildlife so that future gererations injoy what we have. Conversation about hunting coexisting ( not baned in favor of) with foraging and hiking on 17 acres then going on to offer methods of attracting wildlife will never qulify as anti-hunting rhetoric in any circle. I agree your thread took some left turns but all were/are relivant to outdoor recreation. We find ourselves at this point not because I was offended. I posted back only after wiscositom spoke of lawmakers and special intrests plundering the hills and streams of Wis. I held you up as example then you returned to perfect the epitome of one easly distracted with promises of ambrosia while your recreational lands are stolen behind your back. Harsh? Probably. True? Remains to be seen but I hope not.

Well klem, you are a confusing fellow at best.

When you started out by talking about "this hunting business" and "Hopfully both of you begain hunting with cameras" and "who want's to
kill Jumpy Jim or Busy Betty" ... yeah, you certainly sound like someone who has a problem with hunters.

I have no idea what you think you said that "held me up as an example" or what I've said that makes me the "epitome of one easly distracted with promises of ambrosia while my recreational lands are stolen behind my back". What exactly did I say other than we want to do our best to manage our woodlands? I literally have no idea what you are talking about.

I've owned this land less than a week. I just wanted to know if my trees were sick.