09 Jul An act of God, or just bad management? Why trees fall and how to prevent it
I enjoyed reading this article
“An act of God, or just bad management? Why trees fall and how to prevent it“, written by Dr Greg Moore from the University of Melbourne about the reasons trees can fail and why there is always a risk even with the best managed trees.
Extract:
The savage storms that swept Victoria last week sent trees crashing down, destroying homes and blocking roads. Under climate change, stronger winds and extreme storms will be more frequent. This will cause more trees to fall and, sadly, people may die.
These incidents are sometimes described as an act of God or Mother Nature’s fury. Such descriptions obscure the role of good management in minimising the chance a tree will fall. The fact is, much can be done to prevent these events.
Trees must be better managed for several reasons. The first, of course, is to prevent damage to life and property. The second is to avoid unnecessary tree removals. Following storms, councils typically see a spike in requests for tree removals – sometimes for perfectly healthy trees.
A better understanding of the science behind falling trees – followed by informed action – will help keep us safe and ensure trees continue to provide their many benefits.
