Tuesday, July 24, 2012

ISA HK/China --- Tree Failure in Nathan Road on 19.7.2012 香港柏丽大道塌古树伤人事件

国内朋友请查閱 "百度博客 --- 国际树木学会" (http://hi.baidu.com/%B9%FA%BC%CA%CA%F7%C4%BE%D1%A7%BB%E1/blog  ) 以取得其他文章。本分会的发表文章都已放弃版权, 任何人都可以自由转载作为教育目的, 但不能作为商业目的盈利。 任何人仕都可以申请免費加入本分会, 本分会员名单从不公开, 有意者请将真实姓名、年龄、单位、职衔、最高学历、电邮和手机号传真到 +852-2679-5338 便可. 如有查询, 请电邮至 egc@netvigator.com  。本分会的一切发表内容, 谨供参考。


会员们:

下述的是2012年7月19日晚上九点多, 在香港柏丽大道游客购物中心, 古树倒塌伤人事件的多方报导, 会员们亦可循以下连结去取得更多信息:

1. http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20120721/00176_021.html

2. http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20120721/00176_022.html

3. http://hk.dv.nextmedia.com/actionnews/hit/20120720/16531311/16531926?ref=fb

香港是一个古木参天的国际城市,每年的海外游客高达2,800万人次, 香港的人口密度是全球最高之一, 这令城区树木倒塌的击中率比其他城市要为偏高。 香港的树木保育意识也很强, 移除古树名木通常招来很多非议, 这令树木的管理往往是去亦难, 留亦难, 一点都不好做。

这次倒下的古树, 据闻是患有 "褐根病", 已经每三个月被施药一次, 但从倒下来的根板来看, 似乎看不出有结构大根被扯断的现象,断出来的都是新根小根, 可能是说明了救不了大根, 只能保存少许的 "吊命根" 而矣, 从而令人怀疑到所谓 "施药保命" 的做法是否有效。 本分会长在国际讨论中经常听到, 老树有病是没药可救, 最好的管理方法是要它们不要病, 但这谈何容易啊。

在香港要是倒树伤人, 传媒一般都会不客气,接下来的法律责任也麻烦多多, 跟国内的城市不一样吧。 要是说成是 "天灾", 哪出来反对的人可能更多, 理由会更充份, 让人无地藏身。

目前国内和台湾的树木种植,有一部份都已经进入成熟期, 类似香港古树倒塌的情况可能也会发生, 如果不先作出准备, 只用 "天灾" 来作挡箭牌, 长远来说, 效果非常存疑。

但愿古树再要倒的话就先长上眼睛,打不到人的就是功德无量!

谨此致意!

国际树木学会 中华地区分会 会长 暨 创办人

欧永森

美洲顾问树艺师学会 顾问树艺师号 RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-rac-in-asia.html )

澳洲顾问树艺师学会 顾问树艺师号 ACM 0412011 (http://www.iaca.org.au/ )

资深树艺师/注册攀树师号 HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-frist-bcma-in-asia.html)

执业树艺师号 IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-tree-news-1441-report.html)

专业调解及谈判学会 注册调解员号 CM-0044 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2012/01/isa-hkchina-mediation.html

“如果树木在设计和种植时犯错,其护养必然昂贵,而最终也会变成 "不定时炸弹" 。 ”


“速成出来的树木评估员, 只能作出低质量的猜測。 大自然会决定成败。 ”



*** 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. Anyone can join ISA HK/China by providing their full name, age, organization, position, highest education, email & mobile no. to egc@netvigator.com  . Joining is free & withdrawal is at an email notice. Station Membership is never publicly disclosed. Please note that Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com , although images are usually not attached due to size. All our information is for reference without liabilities. ***

Dear Station Members,

It is very sad for us to learn that another Tree Failure to injure has happened again in a calm evening of July 19, 2012, in a busy shopping area of Nathan Road in HK. This time it was an Old & Valuable Tree (OVT),which is the most watched tree in HK by the public. The accident has injured 5 persons, luckily none seriously. The incident has aroused public interest in Tree Failure by making headline again in some local newspapers. The majority of the comments have been unfavorable.

More of the Tree Failure can be obtained in the links below, all in Traditional Chinese & some with video clip :

1. http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20120721/00176_021.html

2. http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20120721/00176_022.html  

3. http://hk.dv.nextmedia.com/actionnews/hit/20120720/16531311/16531926?ref=fb

The fallen tree was said to have been suffering from a root rot by the tree experts. It can be seen that the upheaved root plate was small & thin, indicated that the tree might not have been toppled by root tearing in strong wind. Root rot is always difficult to detect because it is underground. Equipment detection like Root Radar can be inaccurate. The symptom of smaller foliage & crown thinning may provide some indication although.

This tree was said to have passed the Tree Risk Assessment in April & has been undergoing chemical treatment for root rot every 3 months. If the treatment has been effective, then why did the tree fall by root rot? On the other hand, it is understood that to remove an OVT would involve complicated applications. The public is always attacking on the dwindling number of the OVT in HK. Would this have an effect in determining the fate of an ailing OVT for removal?

At the time of preparation of this Station Mail, the Station Manager has received a phone call on yet another OVT of no. YTM/96 has failed in Kowloon Park in the morning of July 23, 2012. It looks like that Mother Nature will indeed make the Rules for Tree Stability over human judgment.

Prevention of accident may be better than cure always.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Founding President (Station Manager) of ISA HK/China (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/)
Registered Consulting Arborist no. RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-first-rca-in-asia.html)
Institute of Australian Consulting Arboriculturists Accredited Member no. ACM 0412011 (http://www.iaca.org.au/)
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist / Certified Tree Worker no. HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-first-bcma-in-asia.html)
Independent Practicing Arborist no. IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html)
Society of Certified Mediators and Negotiators Certified Mediator no. CM-0044 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2012/01/isa-hkchina-mediation.html)

"Providing treatment without in-depth diagnosis & research support is professional misconduct. "


"Casual tree assessor delivers wanton tree assessment. Mother Nature makes the rules."


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驗樹護樹馬虎 都市炸彈處處

尖沙咀栢麗購物大道一棵百年古榕樹突然倒塌,壓傷五名途人,再次凸顯港府樹木管理一塌糊塗, 都市炸彈遍地開花,市民生命安全毫無保障。今次塌樹發生在遊人如鯽的街道,沒有搞出人命,可算是不幸中的大幸,但下次還會這麼幸運嗎?

政務司司長林鄭月娥昨日到塌樹現場視察,強調市民安全永遠放在首位,尤其是人流眾多的地點更應如此,故必要時會將上址另外兩棵同樣受到 真菌感染的百 年細葉榕移除。這個場面似曾相識,每有塌樹事故發生,當局都會亡羊補牢,但事過境遷,塌樹意外依然不斷發生。人們不禁要問,當局信誓旦旦 重視人命安全,實 際上又做過些甚麼呢?

今次倒塌的細葉榕被列入古樹名冊,兩年前已確診患上俗稱「樹癌」的褐根病,加上位處熙來攘往的遊客區,理應更加小心護理。惟奇怪的 是,樹木辦聲稱今年一月及四月先後做過詳細檢查及風險評估,認為「可以接受」,詎料言猶在耳,這棵「可以接受」的古樹竟轟然倒塌,可見樹 木辦的檢查和評估 是何等兒戲。實際上,這棵古樹早已病入膏肓,不僅樹根嚴重腐爛,枝葉疏落,樹幹更因真菌感染呈海綿狀。正如樹木專家指出,這些徵狀不是一 夜間突然出現的, 而是長年累月得不到適當護理的結果,樹木辦到底有沒有用心驗樹救樹,不問可知。

四年前赤柱塌樹導致港大女生枉死,當局煞有介事地成立樹木管理專責小組檢討一番,其後並成立樹木辦負責管理樹木,可惜塌樹意外依然 不絕如縷,前年沙田圓洲角便再次發生塌樹殺人事件,證明樹木辦無法有效排除樹木隱患。本報記者早前與樹木專家巡查全港多處,發現不少樹木 樹幹已腐壞變成 「甩皮樹」、「生菇樹」,卻未被樹木辦列入樹木登記冊,部分即使登記在冊的樹木,也因照顧不周而導致「病情」惡化,搖搖欲墜,令人擔心颱 風季節隨時發生塌 樹傷人意外,結果不幸而言中。

事實上,當局驗樹一般只用「目視」,每棵樹的檢查時間又只有十數分鐘,而且只是填寫簡單表格,連樹葉顏色、樹木傾斜度、樹根樹幹比 例等基本資料都沒有記錄,這怎麼可能找出有毛病的樹木?驗樹馬虎也就罷了,更不堪的是護樹不得其法,往往無病變有病,小病變大病。例如今 次倒塌的細葉榕, 連同多棵百年古樹一同「擠在」狹小的水泥花槽內,水泥又將部分樹根甚至樹幹覆蓋,不僅令檢查人員難以看見根部生長情況,樹幹更因被封而容 易腐爛,這根本不 是護樹,而是殺樹,林鄭月娥也不得不承認水泥花槽影響樹木生長。

百年養不足,一日毀有餘。當局驗樹馬虎,護樹兒戲,證明一次又一次的塌樹事故既是意外,也是人禍,當局何時才能真正吸取教訓呢?