Friday, May 2, 2008

ISA HK/China --- Absence of Sammy Au in HK from May 9 - 15, 2008

Dear Station Members,

Please kindly note that the Station Manager Mr. Sammy Au will be absent in HK from May 9 - 15, 2008 inclusive to attend the ISA Asia Pacific Arboricultural Conference in Brisbane, Australia. If there is anything required of him during this period, please either e-mail him at egc@netvigator.com , or try to call him at + 61 - 43 - 252 - 7206 if this number still works in Australia. Please note Brisbane is 2 hours ahead of HK if anyone calls.

Alternatively, you may wish to contact the Station Manager in HK away from the above-mentioned period for any enquiry.

Thank you for your kind attention.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager
ISA HK/China http://isahkchina.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 1, 2008

ISA HK/China --- CUGE research online

Dear Station Members,

It is the pleasure of ISA HK/China to inform you that we are now able to access online with CUGE of Singapore to share their research in greenery with their abundant resources. We are indeed grateful to our Singaporean counterparts for providing us this wonderful opportunity to learn about their development which is relevant & guiding for greenery in our territory.

Please kindly follow the link as described below to retrieve the information, & be thankful to CUGE while you are there.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager


----- Original Message -----
From: Angelia SIA
To: Undisclosed Recipients
Cc: Puay Yok TAN
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Subject: CUGE Research's Urban Greenery Bibliography Database Now Available Online

(Embedded image moved to file: pic22679.jpg)

Dear Partners,

Thank you for your support to CUGE Research. Since our formation on 1stApril 08, we have received enquiries from some of you. We have also metsome of you to discuss joint research possibilities.It is with pleasure we announce that resources like our newsletters, Xylem and INSIGHT and handbooks like "A Selection of Plants for Green Roofs inSingapore" are now available for downloading at this link,http://www.cugeresearch.com/ under www.cuge.com.sg.

Besides publications, we have also implemented an Urban GreeneryBibliography Database, which consolidates some literature which we havecome across in the areas of Urban Landscape Management, Urban Ecology,Forms of Urban Greenery and Socio-Economics research.

We hope you will thisuseful.Thank you.

Best Regards,

Angelia Sia § Manager (CUGE Research)
§ National Parks Board § Tel: +6564717831 § Fax: +65 64723033Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message. Ifyou are not the intended recipient, you must not copy, distribute or use itfor any purpose, nor disclose its contents to any other person. Pleasenotify the sender immediately if you receive this in error.Check out our website at http://www.nparks.gov.sg http://www.cuge.com.sg

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

ISA HK/China --- Reply to Lo Tung's enquiry on Tree Transplantation

*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments from outsiders are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com , although images are usually not attached due to size. ***

Dear Mr. Lo,

Thank you for your patience for us to draft a reply on your enquiry on Tree Transplantation. Please note that we are giving the reply on technical ground only, without bias nor sentiment, from our professional knowledge as Practising Arborist. ISA HK/China is a research & education organization & we do not become involved with politics. Hence our reply will follow only our guided principles of Integrity, Professionalism, Participation, Fact-finding & Truth-telling, as we always should.

In any recommendation for Tree Transplantation, an Arborist would first study into two major areas: Survival after transplantation & Practicality of the transplanting work.

For Survival consideration, we would review the health & structure of a tree to determine whether it would be worthwhile to carry out the transplant. The guiding principle would be that what good is it to transplant a tree if it would not survive the transplant, or it may pose as a potential hazard to the public after the transplant. An Arborist would have various skills & methods to determine such requirement & it would take several days of lectures to tell you all this, rather than in a simple e-mail reply.

For Practicality of the transplant, we would usually require to lift a rootball of a size of 10 x trunk diameter to conform to the international requirement in tree transplantation. Therefore, a 2 ft trunk diameter tree would require a rootball of 20 ft in diameter, & so on. On the other hand, you are correct in pointing out that most lorries in HK can not accommodate oversized rootballs. The average width of a HK lorry is usually around 8 ft only. This would mean an acceptable rootball to sit on any lorry would be around 8 ft in diameter, giving the maximum trunk size of a tree to be transplanted to be about 10 inches in diameter. For any tree larger than that, the rootball will have to be cut off, leading to future death or poor growth as seen after many tree transplantation in HK.

Taking the lorry width of 8 ft into consideration, this would also limit the canopy width of any tree to be carried. A tree of 10 inch rootball would usually carry a canopy of natural width well over 20 ft in diameter. This would mean the tree canopy would need to be chopped down to 8 ft in order to fit. Any tree chopped, or better be called 'topped' , would usually lead to future decay at wounds. Decay is a tree is not known internationally to be stopped by chemicals or by cultural treatment. This tree may eventually become a potential hazard to fail in the wind.

Above are the simplified answer to your enquiry from our professional knowledge. Arborists are Tree Doctors & Tree Detectives. We are the specialists in tree care. If you would need more information on this topic, we would recommend you to visit International Society of Arboriculture (ISA at www.isa-arbor.com), or to consult any Practising Arborist for a more detailed answer. ISA was set up in 1924, & is the largest & oldest tree care organization in the world. Arborists are also friendly Practitioners & we are always ready to help. You can also find out more about ISA HK/China at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China.

Thank you for your enquiry & please do not hesitate to approach us for further questions.

Please kindly note that we are forwarding this message on our Station Mail system for the information & knowledge of our Station Members.

best regards,

Sammy Au
ISA HK/China Station Manager
Practising Arborist, Professional Nurseryman & Landscaper

The ISA Mission - Through research, technology, and education, promote the professional practice of arboriculture and foster a greater public awareness of the benefits of trees. (www.isa-arbor.com)



----- Original Message -----
From: Lo Tung Lo
To: btang@aud.gov.hk ; dlcsoffice@lcsd.gov.hk ; ayscheung@lcsd.gov.hk ; wingsleung@lcsd.gov.hk ; mailbox@afcd.gov.hk ; cary_ph_ho@afcd.gov.hk ; yk_chan@afcd.gov.hk ; pk_chan@afcd.gov.hk ; landsd@landsd.gov.hk ; ddg@landsd.gov.hk ; ceshq@landsd.gov.hk ; cswai@hyd.gov.hk ; sla3.lu@hyd.gov.hk ; sla1.lu@hyd.gov.hk ; sla2.lu@hyd.gov.hk ; yuech@archsd.gov.hk ; ault@archsd.gov.hk ; wongv@archsd.gov.hk ; lewisah@archsd.gov.hk ; pi@legco.gov.hk ; rctho@capitalchina.com ; contact@alanleong.net ; info@liwahming.org.hk ; selina@selinachow.com ; jkstolegco@gmail.com ; yuenhan@ftulegco.org.hk ; bernie@bernardchan.com ; kamlamchan2004@yahoo.com.hk ; cksin@sinchungkai.org.hk ; az3286pw@netvigator.com ; jet@dab.org.hk ; howardyoung_legco@yahoo.com.hk ; kwlau@dab.org.hk ; miriamlau@liberal.org.hk ; elau@frontier.org.hk ; sychoy@pacific.net.hk ; chengkarfoo@dphk.org ; ttfok@netvigator.com ; arazack@netvigator.com ; albert.wychan@yahoo.com.hk ; kwaifong56@yahoo.com.hk ; kyli@dab.org.hk ; kkk@kkkwok.org ; hokming@ntas.org ; patricklau@gmail.com ; contactus@mandytam.com
Cc: lotunglo@yahoo.com.hk ; cahk@cahk.org.hk ; info@greensense.org.hk ; egc@netvigator.com ; secretary@hkila.com
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 7:10 PM
Subject: 是保育樹木,還是浪費公帑?


是保育樹木,還是浪費公帑?
(圖一)

這棵樣子奇怪的樹是攝於馬鞍山的一個政府樹木移植接收場,它是眾多受不同建築工程影響而被移植的樹木之一。政府每年耗費大量人力物力去保護受發展影響的樹木,跟據發展局技術指引ETWB TC No. 3/2006規定,負責工程項目的部門必須盡力保護工地上原有的樹木,所有樹木必須被紀錄並由有關的部門對其最終的處理方法(原地保留、移植或砍除)進行審批。政策方向完全正確及對環境負責,但實際運作如何?政府部門如何審批處理受工程影響的樹木?究竟圖中的這棵樹為甚麼這樣奇怪?

圖中的樹是細葉榕(Ficus microcarpa 一般稱為榕樹),未被移植之前是甚麼樣子我們無法肯定,但跟據榕樹正常的生長形態我們其中一個推斷是,原來的樹要比圖中的大得多。移植後主幹已失,剩下來的其實是一條氣根和一節「斷肢」,樹木原來的樣子簡單推斷如下:
(圖二)

從保護樹木的角度考慮,市民肯定不是要使用大量金錢而去製造這件「藝術品」,也不會認同這種「偽保育」。市民希望知道的是原來的樹幹去了哪裡?這裡衍生了更多的問題。
問題
原來的樹為甚麼不被移植過來?
這種情況是否常見?
是否承建商的責任?

這些問題可以從其它移植樹木的情況得到答案:
         
(圖三)

從以上各張圖片所見,奇形怪狀的樹木並非個別例子,亦非由單一個工程所造成。縱使品種不同,這些被移植的樹木都有一個共同特徵──斬首斬腳(斷肢)。

驟眼看來,移植樹木的承建商似乎需要為其錯誤的修剪技術及施工程序負全責。事實上本港的樹藝工程仍處於很低的技術水平;但圖片中的樹木還有一個共通點──被修剪過的大樹尺寸(總高與寬)似乎相近。其實這是反映了一件不爭的事實,在運輸樹木的過程中必須要乎合交通條例,例如對負載貨物(樹木)的要求。我們因此對上文那棵樹何以變成斷枝的原由可以有個初步的結論。

承建商一般只是根據合約及條例去施工,因此以這種大樹的移植工程來看,造成這種惹人詬病之情況的責任不可以完全歸究承建商,反而是牽頭的工程部門,更或是審批移植或要求要把大樹移植的部門。這是否涉及政府部門的行政失當或決策錯誤?

問題

是甚麼政府部門去審批有關樹木的保育事宜?

跟據發展局技術指引ETWB TC No. 3/2006第17條,任何政府土地上的樹木皆不可以被無故砍伐。發展必須首先考慮原地保留樹木,情況不許可時應考慮移植(除非該樹木的保育價值為低、移植後的存活率低或移植後將無法復原至正常之樹形),最後才考慮砍除。技術指引還清楚表明有關的考慮必須平衡成本及效益。指引內容清晰且合情理,對自然保育越來越關注的市民大眾來說,既為保育把了關,同時亦確保公帑不被浪費。

可是,到了執行層面,則是另一個景象!現時處理樹木事宜的部門五花八門,並非統一處理。但簡單來說,負責審批砍樹移樹或提供竟見的部門主要有四個:地政署、康文署、漁護署及路政署。地政署負責最後審批的步驟,因該部門並無樹木專家,審批前必先諮詢康文署、漁護署或路政署的意見。康文署負責已批出土地的樹木前宜,因此是最關鍵的部門,其意見及決定直接影響絕大多數公務發展項目。

政府部門是否有根據發展局技術指引的精神處理樹木事宜?且看移植樹木的品種、結構和樹形可知一二:
   
(圖四)
   
(圖五)

從圖四中可見,被移植樹木的品種包括本港非常常見的品種,而最令人感詑異的,是當中竟有些是有極高自行散播能力的品種──即等同於野草──典型的例子有血桐(Macaranga tanarius)及台灣相思(Acacia confusa)。另一點必須注意的是,有些外來品種(如台灣相思)本來就是廉價而生長極快的品種(故常大量使用於植林),由幼苗(成本約為港幣10元)起計只要少於十年時間便能成大樹;因此,政府動輒花費上數百倍價錢去移植一棵這樣的樹種是否合理?

樹木的價值當然並非全由成本效益去計算,比如市民的集體回憶、樹木的特別外形或該樹的歷史意義;但當出現大量這類極其普通的品種(以馬鞍山的那個樹木移植接收場計血桐已有25棵),而(以普遍的審美眼光為標準)大部份樹形皆非常平庸、甚至是差劣時(參考圖五),問題就相當明顯!

公帑花了,目的是否達到了?

問題

被移植的樹木是否真的能存活?
被移植的樹木是否安全?
移植樹木是否等於環境保謢或自然保育?

暫且勿論美感及價值,市民也希望知道被移植後的樹木「下場」如何。其實在沒有足夠的技術條件或空間下,強行移植大型樹木的失敗率極高。要是樹木生長於石面、斜坡及起吊困難的地方、或是受交通運輸所限制,移植時所能保留的根系也必然不足以支持移植後的復完及生長,最終樹木會慢慢轉弱,最後死亡。再以本文開始的榕樹為例,該樹原來樣子的另一個可能性是:
(圖六)

若樹木原本是生長在這樣的地勢,其根系很可能是攀附在岩石、石屎噴漿或極淺的表土上,強行移植後樹木的成活率不但極低,未能被完整保留的根系更會使被移植的樹木出現結構問題,隨時倒下,最終對市民構成危險。事實上,為了達到政府部門的「保育」目的,近年不少樹木就是在這樣不可行的情況下被移植。圖片的那棵榕樹很可能就是在這樣的情況下被「勉強保留」了下來(若非榕樹生有氣根,這種取巧的方法則根本不可行)。

無論是因為運輸上的限制(圖二)或是因為地勢的困難(圖六),「強行」移植樹木除了浪費金錢外,亦根本不能保育原來的樹木!至於搬移保育價值低的外來品種/入侵性強的品種,更加是與「保育」理念大相逕庭。政府花費大量的公帑進行這類「形式上」的花招,數字上可能達到了「全保育」、「零斬樹」,但實際上是只看數字、不專業、不科學、本末倒置的昏庸決定,既違背了發展局技術指引的精神,亦是欺騙公眾!

問題

移植樹木有無一個專業準則?有關的政府部門的知識水平是否足夠?
甚麼人需要為此等行政失當負責?
其他引申問題。

現時處理樹木事宜的工作分散至近十個政府部門,當中是否都有植物專家或合格的樹藝師是一個疑問。牽涉審批工程的地政署、給予「專業意見」的康文署及漁護署對評審斬樹、移樹的決定是否客觀、還是有其他政治考慮?最後,主導政府工程審批的還不可忽略一個有絕對決定性的架構──立法會工務小組委員會(PWSC)。工務小組委員會決定各項工程的撥款,政府部門會否受到任何政治壓力而作出一些數字上的包裝,以達到撥款的目的?參與工務小組的立法會議員又是否知道政府部門這些不當的施政?還是造就這些「走火入魔」的施政?

為了非必要的移樹工作,各工程在設計上,施工上又擔誤了多少時間?浪費了多少人力、物力?又有多少大樹理應原地保留,但在「以為移植可行」的情況下而不幸犧牲?


聲明

本文絕對支持樹木的保育,並認為樹木移植必須由專業人士在客觀的情況下審批,及在完善的監督下進行。本文無意針對任何工程、部門、人物,其旨在點出政府在處理樹木保育事宜上的不客觀、不合理、本末倒置,以及帶出這些施政所涉及的公帑浪費。期望有關部門、架構能在輿論的壓力下作出改善,撥亂返正。


發信人:Lo Tung
電郵: lotunglo@yahoo.com.hk

此文件致:

審計署 署長 鄧國斌先生 btang@aud.gov.hk

康樂文化事務署 署長 周達明先生 dlcsoffice@lcsd.gov.hk
康樂文化事務署 康樂事務經理(樹木及園景)香港 張裕生先生 ayscheung@lcsd.gov.hk
康樂文化事務署 康樂事務經理(樹木及園景)九龍 梁永生先生 wingsleung@lcsd.gov.hk

漁農自然保理署 署長 mailbox@afcd.gov.hk
漁農自然保理署 高級自然護理主任(南)  何秉皓先生 cary_ph_ho@afcd.gov.hk
漁農自然保理署 高級自然護理主任(北) 陳耀強先生 yk_chan@afcd.gov.hk
漁農自然保理署 高級自然護理主任(中區) 陳炳光先生 pk_chan@afcd.gov.hk

地政總署 署長 譚贛蘭女士 landsd@landsd.gov.hk
地政總署 地政總署副署長(一般事務)(地政處總部)  梁玉書先生 ddg@landsd.gov.hk
地政總署 總產業測量師(地政處/總部)  陳永堅先生 ceshq@landsd.gov.hk

路政署 署長 韋志成先生 cswai@hyd.gov.hk
路政署 高級園境師3  張美馨女士  sla3.lu@hyd.gov.hk
路政署 高級園境師1  梁錦鴻先生   sla1.lu@hyd.gov.hk
路政署 高級園境師2  郭德泰先生   sla2.lu@hyd.gov.hk

建築署 署長 余熾鏗先生 yuech@archsd.gov.hk
建築署 高級園境師/4 區李婷女士 ault@archsd.gov.hk
建築署 高級園境師/2 黃秋雲女士 wongv@archsd.gov.hk
建築署 高級園境師/3 盧偉思先生  lewisah@archsd.gov.hk

立法會工務小組委員會-

秘書: 馬海櫻女士 pi@legco.gov.hk
委員: 何鍾泰議員rctho@capitalchina.com、 梁家傑議員contact@alanleong.net
李華明議員info@liwahming.org.hk、 周梁淑怡議員selina@selinachow.com
涂謹申議員jkstolegco@gmail.com、 陳婉嫻議員yuenhan@ftulegco.org.hk
陳智思議員bernie@bernardchan.com、 陳鑑林議員kamlamchan2004@yahoo.com.hk
單仲偕議員cksin@sinchungkai.org.hk、 黃宜弘議員az3286pw@netvigator.com
曾鈺成議員jet@dab.org.hk、 楊孝華議員howardyoung_legco@yahoo.com.hk
劉江華議員kwlau@dab.org.hk、 劉皇發議員 c/o 委員會秘書、
劉健儀議員miriamlau@liberal.org.hk、 劉慧卿議員elau@frontier.org.hk
蔡素玉議員sychoy@pacific.net.hk、 鄭家富議員chengkarfoo@dphk.org
霍震霆議員ttfok@netvigator.com、 石禮謙議員arazack@netvigator.com
陳偉業議員albert.wychan@yahoo.com.hk、李永達議員kwaifong56@yahoo.com.hk
李國英議員kyli@dab.org.hk、 林偉強議員 c/o 委員會秘書、
郭家麒議員kkk@kkkwok.org、 張學明議員hokming@ntas.org
劉秀成議員patricklau@gmail.com、 譚香文議員contactus@mandytam.com

副本送:

長春社 蘇國賢先生 cahk@cahk.org.hk
環保觸覺 info@greensense.org.hk
國際樹藝學會香港分部 egc@netvigator.com
香港園境師學會 secretary@hkila.com
各園境顧問公司 c/o 香港園境師學會

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Monday, April 28, 2008

ISA HK/China --- ISAAC e-news (Speakers Preview of the 2008 Brisbane ISA Conference)

Dear Station Members,

Underneath is the latest ISA Australia Chapter (ISAAC) e-news given to our region. Inside is a special preview on the Speakers of the May 8 Brisbane ISA Conference at which ISA HK/China will send in a group of no less than 13 participants (8 tree climbers to compete or support at the ATCC, & another 5 persons reported of going to ISA HK/China. No news has been received of which of our Govt Depts is going, although some said they may attend ...).

All ISA Conferences by tradition are serious education & networking known in ISA history of 84 years. In them, the latest research & practices are discussed & information from different regions is exchanged. Arborists are practitioners & talking with fantasy will not please most of them. They want to see things working with objectives attained, & not just talk, talk & talk. This is the attitude that makes Arborists such a distinctive profession accepted in the greenery industry around the world.

The Brisbane Conference will focus on knowledge relevant to our region such as tree inspection, tree pathology, risk assessment & tree failures which our region is aiming to improve. ISA HK/China hopes to bring back updates to educate our professionals so that our trees can become assets to our community rather than liabilities. Further announcement on this may be given later on.

ISA HK/China looks forward to participate & learn hard at the Brisbane Conference in about one week's time.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager



----- Original Message -----

From: ISAAC E-news

To: enews@isaac.org.au

Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 4:15 PM

Subject: ISAAC Enews #39 - ISA Asia Pacific Conference - SPEAKER PREVIEW

Visit the ISAAC Website http://isaac.org.au - Now with live tree news from around Australia!If you're not a member of the ISAAC E-news mailing list, you can join it at http://isaac.org.au/news/news.htm. It's free and you don't have to be a member of ISAAC.

****** ISA Asia Pacific Conference FILLING FAST ******

ISA Asia Pacific Conference - May 9-14, Brisbane, Australia. Interest is strong and more workshops and hotels are booked out. You will regret missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this diverse range of speakers. See below for a sample of speaker biographies and abstracts.Register online at the ISAAC Online Shop to avoid disappointment, or go to the ISAAC Website http://isaac.org.au for more details.

Ted Green:

Ted, a founder member of the Ancient Tree Forum, travels world wide to raise the profile of ancient trees.Ted grew up on the edge of Windsor Great Park, home to some of the finest ancient trees in Europe and many have been special to him from childhood. He is a consultant to the Crown Estates there.Ted has worked on plant pathology at London University. He is a regular writer and broadcaster and campaignstirelessly to make sure that we understand why these trees are special and to encourage anyone who will listen to take action on their behalf.Veteran Tree Management and Conservation or Growing downwards: what can we learn fromancient trees and the natural aging process‘An oak tree grows for 300 years, rests for 300 years and then spends the next 300 years gracefully expiring’. Hence the phrase ‘growing downwards’.Growing downwards was a concept developed by the Ancient Tree Forum, a group of Europe-wide specialists andexperts made up of primarily professional arborists, foresters, historians and conservationists. They are concerned about the continued loss of Europe’s old trees.Studying the way old trees age has provided so many insights into how trees grow naturally to maturity, rest andthen decline. This has led to some methods of management preventing collapse such as retrenchment pruningespecially in the management of 1000s of old pollard trees that remain in the UK and other limited parts of Europe.The essential role of decay fungi in the hollowing process has led to the phrase: ‘the co-evolutionary relationshipbetween trees and fungi’. Words such as disease and fungal attack are now disappearing from the arborist’svocabulary.Recognising the fundamental role of other groups of fungi in tree health and longevity, has led to the management and retention of dead standing and fallen trees and they are now much more common in the landscape.

Ken James :

Ken James is an engineer at the University of Melbourne, Australia and has been investigating tree biomechanics and dynamic wind forces on trees for ten years. He currently is conducting research into tree dynamics and has developed new instruments that can measure the wind loads on trees during storms. He has presented papers at the many international conferences including ISA Conferences in America, Tree biomechanics Conference, Savannah, 2001, European Arboricultural Conferences in Maastricht and Oslo, Australia and New Zealand. He has published several papers on tree biomechanics and is currently developing a dynamic structural model to describe tree movement and loads in high winds. Other research interests include structural loads in tree cables and measurement of internal growth stresses in living trees.Tree BiomechanicsThe mechanical properties of trees is being studied to assess the structural strength and stability under a range of conditions. Understanding the structural properties of trees is fundamental to understanding how trees adapt and survive in their environment. Two methods are used, i.e. statics and dynamics. Static tree pull tests apply forces with ropes to simulate wind loading. Dynamic wind measurements are giving us a different understanding of how trees withstand high winds.Tree dynamics and WindHow trees withstand wind forces is being studied using new instruments that monitor the tree under wind stormconditions. Dynamic analysis is providing information on the forces that impact a tree. This information is being used to assess the stability of trees. Recent wind storms in Melbourne are discussed with some case studies that report on wind loading and the assessment of strength.

Dr David Lonsdale:

Dr David Lonsdale is a consultant, author and educator, specialising in the biology, pathology and mechanicalintegrity of trees. After studying at the universities of Southampton and Manchester, he worked for the BritishForestry Commission for 26 years before going freelance in 2002. His research has involved tree diseases and decay, including the role of latent stress dependent fungi. His many publications include “Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management” (1999). He received the Annual Award of the Arboricultural Association in 1999 and an award for Advancement of Knowledge of Arboriculture from the ISA (UK & Ireland Chapter) in 2001.Tree-related hazards: recognition and assessmentA tendency to fall or to shed parts is the main cause for concern about tree-related hazards from trees. Otherhazards, which will not be mentioned further here, relate to obstruction, poisoning, damage to structures caused by tree growth and subsidence or heave of the ground, related to water uptake by tree roots.Everyone with a responsibility for tree safety should be able to recognise signs that may indicate a potential formechanical failure. Someone with specialist skills and knowledge should, if necessary, inspect such signs in moredetail and assess their significance. Options for conducting general and detailed inspections will be discussed here, with reference to the main signs of potential hazard; these can be summarised as follows:Structural ‘defects’ • Bark inclusions (especially at branch unions)• Cracking/splitting of various kinds• Branch subsidence• Crossing and abrading branchesPotential sites of decay initiation• Wounds from pruning or branch failure• Dysfunctional wood in the centre of the root plates of old trees• Bark wounds, above or below ground• Dead branchesSigns of possible weakness due to decay• Cavities• Dead branches• Exposed, decayed wood• Fruiting of decay fungi (often indicating no more than a need for investigation!)There is much interest in devices for aiding the internal mapping of decay, but these should used only by those with a good understanding of the spatial patterns of decay development, both above and below ground. They should in particular be able to interpret the significance of different types of wounds (e.g. wounds that involve only bark loss or wounds that expose sapwood and/or heartwood or ripewood). They should also understand the tendency for coalescence to occur between decay columns arising from a number of wounds.Structurally weak attachments weakened further by decay• Signs of decay at or near included bark unions• Coppice re-growth on decaying stumps• New growth from positions of previous topping or pollardingSite related information• Soil type and hydrology and hence rooting depth (for the tree species concerned)• Cohesion of soil• Topography (especially regarding steep slopes)Past failure of the tree or of similar trees nearby• Signs of past failure that can be observed during inspection• Types of failure that have been documented (or anecdotally noted by local residents).

Dr Elizabeth Philip:

Dr Elizabeth Philip is currently a Senior Research Officer with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). During her 17 years tenure here, she has spearheaded about eight research and development projects dealing with arboriculture and forestry issues. Amongst the issues addressed in arboriculture are growth and development of urban trees, abiotic factors affecting tree growth and urban trees in mitigating changing weather and climatic change.She is a certified arborist by the ISA. In improving the arboricutural practices in Malaysia, she has developed aprotocol for monitoring tree vitality and detection tree heath decline.Dr Philip has published more than 25 papers in referred journals and presented more than 100 working papers. In addition, she sits in a number of technical committees as well.Environmental Influence on the Growth and Development of TreesE.Philip and Y.Noor AzlinForest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), 52 109 Kepong, Selangor, MalaysiaMan’s fast paced development has brought about secondary problems like increased pollution, degradation of theenvironment and affected human well-being. The call for combating further environmental degradation has been discussed in many international fora and resulted in Conventions like Biological Diversity and United NationFramework on Climate Change Convention and others. The call for more public parks, green space and conservation of biological resources is getting greater attention in light with the changing climatic scenarios.This paper will highlight the different environmental influence on tree growth. The influence of water stress,temporary flooding, and soil compaction on the growth of urban trees will be discussed. In addition, environmental services provided by urban trees in Malaysia would be also be discussed. Amongst the services provided are natural biological air filters to air pollution and therapeutic. In addition, they acts filter to reduce the heat-island effects in urban areas. Besides, it is a good platform for inter-cultural activities while preserving each identity. Man has very strong linkages with nature and is reflected in the daily activities of our forefathers. Cities and towns have been named after plants.Remember to forward this to other tree care professionals that may find this useful.

ISAAC's Internet policy prohibits spam so please only distribute ISAAC E-news to those with a genuine interest.

ISAAC MembershipMembership of ISAAC links you to the professional world of practicing arborists and tree managers in Australia. As a member you get discounted entry to ISAAC events, discounts on books and business insurance, as well as the locally produced newsletter 'The Bark'. Full ISA Members also get the ISA's publications 'Journal of Arboriculture' and 'Arborist News'. Membership supports the continued growth in professionalism of arboriculture in Australia. Now is the time to join. If you already are a member, now is the time to recruit someone else.

You can download a membership form right now - http://isaac.org.au/members/join.htm"join online.

If you're looking for great information to pass on to your clients, check out the ISA's new website, Trees Are Good, dedicated to providing tree care information for the general public http://www.treesaregood.org

Do you have a question or comment? You can send your query online at our http://isaac.org.au/contact.htm If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe, please see the instructions on our website http://isaac.org.au/news/news.htm.

Contents of this newsletter are provided for information only and the International Society of Arboriculture, Australia Chapter takes no responsibility for loss or damage resulting from its use. ISA, ISAAC and associated logos are for use by members of the ISA and ISAAC only. (c) 2008 International Society of Arboriculture Australia Chapter Ltd. ABN 77 090 873 644.
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