Tree stability in an improved soil to withstand wind loading

As trees are planted in close proximity to properties and humans in a dense city like Singapore, uprooting of trees can pose safety concerns. Previous research studies have shown that soil properties are important factors that govern tree stability. Soil properties can be improved by mixing top soil (TS) with coarse-grained soil. The effects of soil improvement using coarse-grained soil on tree stability were investigated in this study. Granite chip was used as coarse-grained soil to improve the original top soil. Static analysis and finite element modeling were performed to study tree stability in an improved soil. Factors investigated include root geometry and soil shear strength parameter. Finite element results showed good agreement with static analysis in determining the maximum wind force needed to uproot the tree. Parametric study showed that the wind force needed to uproot the tree was influenced by the mode of failure and the magnitude was dependant on the root geometry and the soil properties. A mixture of 20% top soil and 80% granite chip by dry mass was the optimum mixture for withstanding the maximum wind force needed to uproot the tree.     

Stability of landscape trees in engineered and conventional urban soil mixes

Urban trees are frequently exposed to unsuitable soil conditions that can hamper root system development, potentially affecting both tree health and stability. Engineered soil designs have been developed to increase soil volume for trees planted in confined spaces, and past research has shown that these designs improve growing conditions. However, tree stability in these engineered soils has received limited attention from researchers. In this study, we evaluated the stability of two tree species of contrasting soil quality tolerance (Prunus serrulata and Ulmus parvifolia) after 3 years growth in two skeletal soil mixes, in a suspended pavement design (uncompacted soil), and in a conventionally prepared soil pit. Tree stability was evaluated by measuring trunk resistance to a lateral deflecting force applied with a rope winch system under both ambient and near-saturated soil conditions. Although heavily irrigating the experimental soils had no effect on tree stability, species-specific responses to soil mixes were observed. P. serrulata grown in the gravel-based skeletal soil showed greater trunk deflection resistance than trees grown in the other soil treatments, yet the stability of U. parvifolia was unaffected by soil type. These species-specific responses were consistent with earlier observations of root development in which P. serrulata grew up to 60 times greater root length in gravel-based skeletal soil whereas U. parvifolia root growth was similar in all soil treatments. This research provides evidence that certain tree species planted in conventional tree pits may be more prone to uprooting due to poor root development and that root anchorage might be improved for these species by utilizing a skeletal soil mix.     

Growth and stability of deep planted red maple and northern red oak trees and the efficacy of root collar excavations

Trees with root systems established well below grade due to deep planting or soil disturbance are common in urban landscapes, yet the long term effects of buried trunks and subsequent remediation strategies, such as root collar excavation are poorly documented. We evaluated the consequences of deep planting over a 10-year period on tree growth and stability, with and without root collar excavation, for red maple [Acer rubrum L. Red Sunset^® (‘Franksred’)] and Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) planted at grade or 30-cm below grade. Sleeves to prevent soil-trunk contact were installed around trunks on a subset of deep trees. Root collar excavations were made during the 6th growing season for both species and trees were grown for an additional 4 and 3 growing seasons for red maples and Northern red oaks, respectively. Within two weeks of root collar excavations, pulling tests compared the effect of treatments on stability of red maples. Deep planting generally slowed growth of red maple but had no clear effect on Northern red oak. Root collar excavation had no lasting effect on growth of either species. Approximately 55% of deep red maples and 33% of deep Northern red oaks had roots crossing and in intimate contact with buried trunks, suggesting a potential for future girdling roots. Approximately 25% of deep maples had substantial adventitious rooting. All deep Northern red oaks had new roots emerging just above the first original structural roots but none were clearly adventitious. Trunk sleeves had no effect on growth for either species. Neither deep planting nor root collar excavation resulted in a loss of tree stability compared to trees planted at grade, although failure patterns varied among treatments. Overall, the biggest long term concern for deep-planted trees is the potential for girdling root formation.     

Average height of surrounding buildings and district age are the main predictors of tree failure on the streets of São Paulo/Brazil

Tree failure is an increasingly frequent issue in cities worldwide leading to the risk of property damage, financial loss, citizen injury, and death. Assessing tree failure is a challenging task since early signs are often not visible and require a detailed evaluation of each tree, which is limiting considering the management of trees across the whole city. We used Regression Trees and Bagging to assess tree failure on the streets of São Paulo / Brazil using parameters from the gray and green infrastructure that could be easily estimated in the field to support the proper preventive maintenance of street trees. We characterized the districts’ age, average building height, tree height, canopy cover, sidewalk width, sidewalk slope, and terrain slope of 26,616 fallen trees. The Regression Tree shows 82% accuracy and reveals that building height is the main predictor of tree failure, followed by district age, sidewalk width, and tree height. The proportion of tree failure in the most verticalized areas, with on average five stories buildings or taller, is twice that observed in the entire city. Tree failure also increases in districts older than 42 years. The proportion of tree failure is 37% lower than the city’s average in relatively newer districts with low building height, where trees taller than 9.58 m are more prone to failure. These results point to possible roles of wind tunneling, shading, pollution, canopy conflicts with service cables in the urban canyons, and the natural senescence of trees in the oldest districts. The present study establishes comprehensive guidelines for effective preventive maintenance of the street trees in São Paulo.     

Growth, survival, and root system morphology of deeply planted Corylus colurna 7 years after transplanting and the effects of root collar excavation

Urban trees are frequently planted with their root collars and structural roots buried well below soil grade, either because of planting practices, nursery production practices, or both. These deeply planted structural roots can impair tree establishment and are thought to reduce tree growth, lifespan, and stability, although research has provided few and contradictory results on these questions to date. This study examines container-grown (55 L) Turkish hazel trees (Corylus colurna L.), planted either at grade, 15 cm below grade, or 30 cm below grade into a well-drained silt loam soil, over nearly 8 years. Five years after planting, in 2004, remediation treatments (root collar excavations) were performed on two replicates of each below-ground treatment. Subsequently, all trees were subjected to flooding stress by being irrigated to soil saturation for approximately 6 weeks. In 2006, flooding stress was repeated. Trees root systems were partially excavated in 2007, and root architecture was characterized. Deep planting did not affect trunk diameter growth over 8 years. Survival was 100% for the first 5 years; however, one 30 cm below grade tree died after flooding in 2004 and another died after the 2006 flooding. Photosynthesis was monitored during the 2004 flooding and all trees experienced decline in photosynthetic rates. There was an apparent slight delay in the decline for trees with excavated root collars and those planted at grade. Girdling roots reduced trunk taper and occurred primarily on unremediated trees planted 30 cm below grade.

Selected individual roots were excavated and followed from the root ball and were observed to gradually rise to the upper soil regions. Analysis of roots emerging from excavation trench faces indicated that vertical root distribution at approximately 1.25 m from the tree trunks was the same regardless of planting depth. Longterm consequences of planting below grade are discussed.     

Application of artificial intelligence for tree risk assessment optimization in Itanhaém – São Paulo,Brazil

Tree risk assessment consists of the identification of a set of defects that may affect the stability of the tree, leading to a possible collapse or failure, either of the whole plant or a part of it; and also, the identification of the targets to be reached and the side effects caused by any eventual failure. Although this is a necessary practice, the large number of variables involved in this evaluation makes the analysis time-consuming. Thus, this research aimed to optimize the tree risk assessment by creating a new protocol with the three visual assessment methods common variables and generating a new protocol applied to trees of species frequently used in urban afforestation worldwide: Terminalia catappa, Ficus Benjamin and Delonix regia. Altogether 36 variables were used for tree risk visual assessment applied in the evaluation of 230 trees located in the urban forest in Itanhaém - São Paulo - Brazil. The data collection was carried out using a smartphone and a data spreadsheet created in ODK collect app, facilitating data storage and processing. To identify the variables with the greatest possibility to determine the risk of falling, artificial intelligence was used through the Decision Tree algorithm (C4.5) in the WEKA software. The results showed that, from the 36 variables evaluated, 14 were enough to determine the risk of tree falling, with 73% hit rate in the tree risk classification. It is concluded that the use of artificial intelligence was essential in detecting tree problems in order to redirect management practices.     

Planting free trees on private property: understanding urban residents’ motivations and hesitations

In order to meet comprehensive planting goals, tree-planting campaigns must plant on private properties, in residential front and backyards. Successful engagement in these kinds of neighborhood plantings requires an understanding of residents' decision making. Through surveys with past recipients of free 1″-caliper trees, past neighborhood leaders of tree-planting recruiting, and door-to-door canvassing in a pilot neighborhood, this study shows the top factors for accepting free trees and main reasons for declining. Surveys asked past tree recipients their main motivations for accepting a free tree, and three reasons rose to the top: trees provide beauty, trees help the environment, and trees keep people healthy. Top barriers for declining a free tree included not desiring more trees than they had, concerns about maintenance, and a language barrier. These results can inform tree-planting campaigns and tree-focused organizations in order to improve messaging and neighborhood engagement – all to ensure that more trees are planted and canopy is increased.     

Indirect root distribution characterization using electrical resistivity tomography in different soil conditions

Root cohesion (Cv) represents a fundamental parameter for the stability of a tree as well as for the vegetation contribution to slope stability. Therefore, the finding of information concerning the root presence becomes mandatory to perform realistic predictions. A precise root detection is commonly practiced by a direct analysis of the root system carried out by digging trenches, via air-spade or extracting the entire root apparatus. This methods are very expensive, destructive and not replicable. This paper presents a 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) application in two study sites characterized by different soil textures and soil moisture conditions. The aims of this work were: i) to couple 2D resistivity profiles with high-resolution root density observations carried out along trenches for different soil texture and moisture contents; ii) to determine a regression law for the non-destructive estimation of the root distribution and the Mean Rooting Depth directly from ERT surveys for engineering purposes. The ERT was performed along transects diametrically crossing the root plate. Then, the direct detection of roots was carried out by digging trenches along the transects. The root distribution was coupled with the ERT observations and correlation laws were determined between ERT and root density. Finally, the capability of the obtained regressions in predicting the Mean Rooting Depth (MRD) was tested. Results confirm that soil electrical resistivity is influenced by the presence of the root systems, allowing the non-destructive root detection. Moreover, our findings suggested opposite responses for sandy and clayey soils under different soil moisture conditions. In particular, root detection in clayey soils appeared more efficient in wet conditions, while for sandy soils best results were obtained in dry conditions. The application of ERT for slope stability and tree stability analysis applications appeared promising for further applications both in urban and natural environments.     

Factors influencing urban tree planting program growth and survival in Florida,United States

High levels of mortality after installation can limit the long-term benefits associated with urban tree planting initiatives. Past planting projects funded by the Florida Forest Service were revisited two to five years after installation to document tree survival and growth and assess program success. Additionally, various site (e.g., soil compaction, installed irrigation) and tree-related (e.g., species, nursery production method, initial size at planting) factors were noted to assess their impact on tree growth. Results show that the overall establishment rate for the 26 sites (n = 2354 trees) was high, with 93.6% of trees alive at the time of final inspection. On-site irrigation played a significant role in tree survival and growth, especially for Magnolia grandiflora (97.7% survival on irrigated sites; 73.8% survival on non-irrigated sites). Findings from this work validate the effectiveness of current program policies which include maintenance of tree quality within the first year after planting, and offer further insights regarding the impacts of season of planting and initial size of nursery stock on plant growth and development.     

Trees in planters – Growth,structure and ecosystem services of Platanus x hispanica and Tilia cordata and their reaction to soil drought

Urban environments are often characterized by extensive paved surfaces, exacerbating the urban heat island effect. At the same time, limited root space due to underground infrastructure poses a challenge for planting new trees in these areas. Trees in planters have emerged as popular design elements, offering innovative and sustainable greening solutions, particularly in urban environments with limited rooting space. However, growing conditions in planters may strongly impact tree growth and the provision of environmental ecosystem services (ES). In this 3-year study, we analyzed tree growth and ecosystem services (cooling by shading, CO₂-fixation) of London plane (Platanus x hispanica Münchh.) and small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) in four planting treatments: in-ground (G), planters in the ground (PG), non-insulated plastic planters (P), and insulated planters (PI). We also recorded soil temperature throughout the experiment and implemented soil drought conditions by reducing soil irrigation for half of the trees after one year. Our findings revealed higher thermal fluctuations in soil temperature within non-insulated plastic planters (P), reaching a maximum of 45 °C, surpassing the critical temperature threshold for plant growth (>38 °C). In contrast, insulated planters (PI) effectively mitigated soil temperatures, staying below 33.8 °C. When planted in the ground (G), P. x hispanica exhibited a significantly higher stem diameter increment (52–66%) compared to other planting treatments, aligning with the provision of ecosystem services. However, T. cordata trees showed a more moderate response to planting treatments in terms of growth and ecosystem service provision. Furthermore, the implementation of soil drought conditions resulted in a reduction of up to 34% in stem diameter increment for P. x hispanica and up to 25% for T. cordata. Our results underscore the necessity of tree species-specific knowledge about growth responses to different planting treatments for effective urban planning perspectives, as the provision of ecosystem services may be influenced differently.     

Porous-permeable pavements promote growth and establishment and modify root depth distribution of Platanus × acerifolia (Aiton) Willd. in simulated urban tree pits

In dense urban areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, current trends favor covering tree pits with porous-permeable pavement over installing grates or leaving the soil exposed. However, pavement cover potentially modifies soil moisture and temperature, altering tree growth and overall resilience, especially when coupled with heat stress and drought in a changing climate. This study evaluated the response of newly planted London plane (Platanus × acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’) trees to porous-permeable resin-bound gravel pavement and associated alterations in soil water distribution and temperature, in two distinct physiographic regions in Virginia, USA. Simulated urban tree pits were either covered with porous-permeable pavement or left unpaved, and root growth and depth, soil water content and temperature, and tree stem diameter measured over two growing seasons. At both sites, trees in paved tree pits grew larger than trees without pavement. Stem diameters were 29% greater at the Mountain site and 51% greater at the Coastal Plain site, as were tree heights (19% and 38% greater), and above ground dry biomass (67% and 185% greater). Roots under pavement developed faster and shallower, with many visible surface roots. In contrast, unpaved tree pits had almost no visible surface roots, and at the Mountain site only occupied an average area of 7 cm² within the 1-m² tree pits, compared with 366 cm² in paved tree pits. Pavement may have extended the root growing season by as much as 14 days, as the average soil temperature for the month of October was 1.1 °C and 1.2 °C higher under pavement than in unpaved pits. Porous-permeable pavement installations in tree pits accelerated establishment and increased growth of transplanted trees, but may result in shallower root systems that can damage pavement and other infrastructure. In addition, shallow root systems may prevent water extraction from deeper soils, compromising drought resilience.     

不同树龄苹果园土壤微生物的差异及对苹果砧木生长的影响

以平顶海棠(Malus robusta Rehd.)为试验材料,以4个不同树龄苹果园的土壤为对象,研究了不同树龄苹果园土壤对再植平顶海棠幼苗生长的影响。结果表明,在前茬树龄为3、8、15和24 a苹果园土种植的平顶海棠幼苗比正茬土对照的平均株高分别减少31.22%、46.38%、57.66%和63.10%;再植平顶海棠幼苗地上部干质量分别减少0.96%、57.58%、76.88%和78.10%;地下部干质量分别减少40.38%、48.79%、64.03%和79.43%。在24 a生苹果树土壤中再植海棠幼苗校正发病率达到了72.73%,而在3 a生苹果树的土壤中再植海棠幼苗校正发病率只有18.18%。对不同树龄的苹果园土壤根际细菌和真菌群落结构的差异进行分析,其结果为,随着苹果树龄的提高,根际土壤中真菌种类和数量显著增加,而细菌的种类和数量则随着树龄的增加显著减少。     

蚯蚓对苹果园土壤生物学特性及幼树生长的影响

 以果园褐土、潮土和棕壤以及2年生红富士苹果(Malus domestica Borkh. ) 幼树为试材, 在盆栽条件下, 通过向盆土埋放蚯蚓, 研究蚯蚓对土壤酶、土壤微生物量碳和氮以及苹果根系和新梢生长的影响。结果表明, 引入蚯蚓后, 3类土壤中脲酶、酸性磷酸酶和碱性磷酸酶活性以及微生物量氮均显著提高, 其中棕壤脲酶活性提高78.9% , 潮土碱性磷酸酶活性提高170.0% , 棕壤微生物量氮提高180.4%。蚯蚓处理也显著提高褐土和潮土微生物量碳, 其中潮土微生物量碳提高幅度最大, 达299.2%。3类土壤经蚯蚓处理后, 苹果幼树根系活力、根系和新梢生长量均显著提高, 其中, 棕壤中的幼树根系活力最高, 褐土中的幼树根系生长量最大, 潮土中的幼树新梢生长量最大。     

Redeveloping the urban forest: The effect of redevelopment and property-scale variables on tree removal and retention

The effects of urbanization on urban forest canopy cover has received significant consideration at broad scales, but little research has explored redevelopment-related influences on individual tree removal at a property scale. This study explores the effect of residential property redevelopment on individual trees in Christchurch, New Zealand. The study monitored 6966 trees on 450 residential properties between 2011 and 2015/16. Of the 450 properties, 321 underwent complete redevelopment during that time, while 129 were not redeveloped. The percentage of trees removed on redeveloped and non-redeveloped properties differed markedly, being 44% and 13.5%, respectively. A classification tree (CT) analysis was used to examine the effects of different combinations of 27 explanatory variables, describing land cover, spatial relationships, economic, and resident and household variables, on tree removal or retention on the properties. The best model included land cover, spatial, and economic variables (accuracy = 73.4%). The CT of the corresponding model shows that trees were most likely to be removed if they were within 1.4 m of a redeveloped building on a property with a capital value less than $1,060,000 NZ. The strongest predictor of tree retention was that the property was not redeveloped. The model predicted that trees were over three times as likely to be removed from a redeveloped property relative to a property that was not redeveloped. None of the seven resident and household variables were selected by the CT as important explanatory variables for tree removal or retention. These results provide insights into the factors that influence tree removal during redevelopment on residential properties, and highlight the need for effective tree protection during redevelopment.     

Factors influencing street tree health in constrained planting spaces: Evidence from Kyoto City,Japan

Street trees are threatened by multiple stresses from biophysical and anthropogenic factors. This situation can be extremely challenging in highly developed urban areas with limited space for tree planting. Asia has some of the most densely populated cities globally, but there is a lack of data on factors affecting street tree health in the region. This study aims to examine the impact of constrained planting environments on the health condition of street trees through a case study in Kyoto City, Japan. The health condition of 1230 street trees distributed throughout the city was assessed from June to October 2018. Additionally, several tree- and site-related variables were collected to identify their impact on tree health. Trees that were in excellent and good condition accounted for 19.9 % and 32.0 % of the sample population, respectively. Multivariate linear regression (N = 1139) revealed that tree health condition was significantly related to pruning intensity, tree pit size, adjacent land use, presence/absence of tree grate or guard, width of sidewalk, tree height, presence/absence of dedicated cycle route, tree pit pattern, crown light exposure, DBH and tree pit type. Platanus × acerifolia and other trees with large diameters exhibited relatively poor condition, along with those in tree pits with concrete paving, without tree grates, or in industrial areas, whereas trees planted in strips exceeding 1.8 m in length and exposed to weak pruning showed the best condition. These results imply the potential for healthy growth of street trees in the restricted planting spaces of Kyoto City, which suggests appropriate management and planting practices. Moreover, our empirical data can inform urban tree managers to support their efforts in making decisions on the better matching of species tolerances with urban site conditions for future street tree plans.     

Defect-disorder and risk assessment of heritage trees in urban Hong Kong

Heritage trees in a city, echoing factors conducive to outstanding performance, deserve special care and conservation. To understand their structural and health conditions in urban Hong Kong, 30 defect-disorder (DD) symptoms (physical and physiological) subsumed under four tree-position groups (soil-root, trunk, branching, and crown-foliage) and tree hazard rating were evaluated. The surveyed 352 trees included 70 species; 14 species with 233 trees were native. More trees had medium height (10–15 m), medium DBH (1–1.5 m) and large crown (>15 m). In ten habitats, public park and garden (PPG) accommodated the most trees, and roadside traffic island (RTI) and public housing estate (PH) had the least. Tree dimensions and tree habitats were significantly associated. The associations between the 2831 DD and tree-position groups, tree habitats and tree hazard rating were analyzed. Fourteen trees from Ficus microcarpa, Ficus virens and Gleditsia fera had high hazard rating, 179 trees from 22 species moderate rating, and 159 trees from 55 species low rating. RTI, roadside tree strip (RTS), roadside tree pit (RTP), roadside planter (RP) and stone wall (SW) had more moderate hazard rating, and PPG, roadside slope (RS) and government, institutional and community land (GIC) more low rating. Redundancy analysis showed that DD were positively correlated with RTS, RTP, RP and SW, but negatively correlated with PPG, RS and GIC (p < 0.05). The DD significantly increased tree hazard rating and failure potential. Future management implications for heritage-tree conservation and enhancement focusing squarely on critical tree defect-disorder in urban Hong Kong were explored, with application to other compact cities.     

The effect of woodland growth on a containment landfill site in Hertfordshire, UK

Below-ground growth of four tree species (ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), alder (Alnus spp.), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and Corsican pine (Pinus nigra var. maritima (Ait.) Melville)) was investigated on a 15-year-old containment landfill in Hertfordshire, UK. The site was restored using a variable but predictable thickness of soil-forming material over the mineral cap and this permitted a study of the relationship between soil thickness and indices of tree root growth. Tree root habit was affected by soil thickness, and the likelihood of root penetration into the cap was significantly reduced when soil cover was greater than 1.25 m. Penetration into the cap appeared to occur because bulk density was often lower than threshold values set to meet permeability criteria necessary for pollution control. The study results suggest that previously published guidance on minimum soil thickness over unprotected landfill caps (1.5 m) should be adhered to, and that risk of root penetration into the cap will be acceptable if it is.     

Urban tree growth and their dependency on infiltration rates in structural soil and structural cells

Expanding tree canopies can be difficult to achieve in built environments because urban land is costly and urban soil inhospitable to vegetation so engineered planting systems offer a potentially valuable tool for achieving sustainable urban forests. Tree water uptake, performance and root distribution were assessed in systems of structural soil and structural cell. Structural soil relies on stone and soil, it is highly porous and designed to support tree root growth and possess pavement strength. The structural cell is made up of rigid structural units with 90% void space which is to be filled with soil. To evaluate tree performance under the conditions of fill and drain regimes in structural soil and structural cell, these two systems were subjected to three simulated infiltration rates. This study was conducted in April 2015 to April 2016 in the tropical equatorial environment of South East Asia. Infiltration rate affected both biomass accumulation and rooting depth. Species and substrate effect was significant for biomass and rooting characteristics but less prominent for transpiration. Biomass was greater for trees in structural cells, and Pouteria obovata was particularly sensitive to prolonged inundation. Rooting depth was always higher in the rapid infiltration indicating the negative effects inundation had on this parameter. Root system in the structural cell was deeper while those in the structural soil were wider. Samanea saman had better adapted to the drain and fill regimes, and this was despite Pouteria obovata being a coastal species and was expected to be flood tolerant. Species and substrate effect was weak (R² ranging from 0.20 to 0.28) but moderate drainage consistently led to higher transpiration. We conclude that structural soil and structural cell are potential solutions and provide a tool to overcome suboptimal urban growing conditions. The application of these solutions will allow for seamless integration of greenery with urban infrastructure.     

Influence of soil aeration on rooting and growth of the Beuys-trees in Kassel,Germany

Soil aeration is an important factor in tree growth. Oxygen must be taken from the atmosphere for root respiration, and carbon dioxide must be discharged to the atmosphere. Because the pore space of the soil could be considered the “dead end” of the free atmosphere, topsoil gas diffusivity is particularly important for soil aeration. Due to diverse land uses, several soil cover types alternate on a small scale at urban sites, competing with the natural function of soil as the living space for roots.During Documenta 7 in 1982, the artist Joseph Beuys initiated the spectacular landscape art project “7000 Oaks”. Seven thousand trees of approximately the same age were planted over the whole city of Kassel, Germany, offering best possible conditions for investigating the influence of specific site factors on root and tree development. At 8 different sites featuring 36 Beuys-oaks and 15 Beuys-planes, topsoil gas diffusivity, soil CO₂ concentration and soil respiration of different soil cover types were measured and correlated with fine root density and tree growth.Topsoil gas diffusivity and soil respiration depend on soil cover type. The lowest gas diffusivities and respiration rates were found at sealed sites, and the highest values were measured at vegetated sites such as lawn or flower beds. Soil gas diffusivity primarily controls soil respiration. Soil CO₂ concentration is not strictly linked to the coverage type and does not show a strictly directed dependence on top soil gas diffusivity and soil respiration. Tree root density and height as well as diameter at breast height (1.3 m) of the oaks were decisively shaped by the gas diffusivity of the soil cover, whereas the investigated planes were not affected by soil aeration deficiencies. The vitality of urban trees can be controlled by the design of the tree site and the choice of the species.     

Mapping of urban roadside trees – A case study in the tree register update process in Helsinki City

This case study describes a method for utilizing leaf-off airborne laser scanning (ALS) data for mapping characteristics of urban trees. ALS data were utilized to detect and update all street trees in the tree inventory of the City of Helsinki, Finland. The inventory consists of roughly 20,000 street trees with mean diameter at breast height (DBH) of 24 cm and mean height of 10.6 m. The large number of trees makes the manual updating process very laborious. The automatic mapping procedure presented in this paper detected 88.8% of all trees in the inventory. Tree height was predicted with root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.27 meters and tree DBH with RMSE of 6.9 cm. The presented method provides a practical and cost–effective tool for the mapping of urban tree characteristics. The cost–efficiency was further enhanced because the used ALS data were originally collected for other urban planning purposes.