Services

Tree Damage

Damage to a Tree from Construction

The processes involved with construction can be devastating to the surrounding trees if no measures have been taken to protect them. The visible injuries such as broken branches and wounds to tree trunks are only the beginning. It is the damage to the root systems that often result in tree loss.

In an ideal situation, an arborist is called in to consult in the planning stages of construction. Trees can be preserved if the appropriate measures are taken soon enough. Unfortunately, it is usually when the first signs of decline appear that help is sought.

There are some remedial treatments that may save some construction-damaged trees, but immediate implementation is critical. If you have trees that have been affected by recent construction, consult a professional arborist promptly. Your arborist can assess each tree for viability and potential hazards, and recommend treatments.

Damage Caused By Construction

• physical injury to the trunk and crown
• soil compaction in the root zone
• severing of roots
• smothering roots by adding soil
• split and broken branches
• new exposure to wind and sunlight

Inspection and Assessment

Because construction damage can affect the structure and stability of a tree, your arborist should check for potential hazards. A hazard check may involve a simple visual inspection, or instruments may be used to check for the presence of decay. If a hazard is found, sometimes it can be reduced or eliminated by removing an unsafe limb, pruning to reduce weight, or installing cables or braces to provide structural support. An often overlooked method of reducing hazards is to move objects that could be hit or to limit access to the hazardous area. If there is doubt about the structural integrity of a tree or the hazard cannot be adequately reduced, it should be removed. Although the goal is to preserve trees whenever possible, that goal must not supersede any question of safety.

Pre-construction care

Ideal, a tree protective plan is developed before construction begins. Many roots are destroyed when construction equipment pass over the root zone. Simply placing a barrier around the trunk of the tree does not protect most of the tree's root system. Place tall, conspicuous stakes and fencing at the ends of the branches on the sides where trucks or bulldozers will be operating. Groups of trees usually stand a better chance of survival than individual specimens.

Changes in soil grade

Even a few inches of fill or soil removal can cause extensive root damage. If possible, never remove soil from or add large amounts of soil within the drip line. When soil air is decreased by filling, certain gases and chemicals increase and become toxic to roots. Symptoms may appear within months or years after filling has occurred.

Other problems could be roots covered by pavement and root damage from trenching.

 

Emergency Work

Damage to a tree from a Storm

Treatment of storm-damaged trees requires wise decisions and prompt action if the maximum benefit from repair work is to be achieved. Repairs come in two stages: first aid for immediate attention; and follow-up work to be distributed over a period of months to several years. Care for damaged large trees is best left to professionals.
First decide if the tree is worth saving. Does the tree serve a needed function or does it have sentimental or historical value? If over 30 to 50 percent of the main branches or trunk are severely split, broken, or mutilated, the benefit of extensive repairs is questionable. If the trees are close to power lines, building or other structures, the tree should be removed by a professional. Extremely old, low-vigour trees might not have the ability to recovery.
Small trees which are uprooted should be straightened and staked immediately. Left exposed to sun and wind will severely damage any upturned roots. Remove any damaged roots or branches. Some staking or cabling may be necessary.

Damage to a tree from Lightning

Lightning strikes can cause various symptoms. They usually loosen bark which hangs in strips. The amount of bark loosened depends on the severity of the strike. The lightning bolt may have passed through the trunk and caused considerable internal wood damage that may not be visible. Damaged trees can die within a short period of time or years later following a period of stress.

Damage to a tree from Snow/ice damage

Snow and ice on branches can cause them to break or bend from the extra weight. High winds will compound the damage. The result is often misshapened plants from broken or split branches.

Do not be in a hurry to prune to correct plants bent out of shape by snow or ice. Often the plants will straighten up in a few days by itself. Broken branches, however, should be pruned as soon as possible. Proper pruning is effective in minimizing potential damage from ice and snow. Particularly important is the removal of weak, narrow-angled, v-shaped crotches.

 

Other tree damage

Damage to Tree Trunks from Lawn mower and weed-trimmer damage

Injury and infection started by a lawn mower or weed trimmer can seriously threaten a tree's health. The most severe injury occurs when the tree bark is slipping (loose due to cambium growth), in early spring during leaf emergence, and in early fall during leaf drop. The site of injury is usually the root buttress, since it flares out from the trunk and gets in the path of the mower or weed-trimmer. Although large wounds are more serious, repeated small wounds can also add up to trouble. Injury can be prevented by the removal (by hand trimming) or prevention (use of a herbicide or mulch) of grass and weeds from growing at the base of the tree.

Wounds are serious enough by themselves, but the wounded tree must also protect itself from pathogens that invade the wound. These microorganisms often attack the injured bark and invade adjacent healthy tissue, greatly enlarging the affected area. Trees can be completely girdled from microbial attack following injury. Decay fungi also become active on the wound surface, and structural deterioration of the woody tissues beneath the wound will often occur