Western NY Tree Loss
After the storm, what now?
From our field work in Western New York in the aftermath of October's storm, we observed many instances of storm damage to mature trees. In many situations where trees were not completely lost, damage was done which could have long-term impact on tree health. From our training and experience as Certified Arborists, we want to point out considerations for property owners of the affected region regarding assessing and guarding their trees' health.
Trees with significant loss of branches
Trees losing a large portion of their branches/canopy have less ability to create food through
photosynthesis. In an attempt to replace this loss the tree will invest extra energy in sprouting,
taking energy away from defense against disease and insects. Success in a tree's recovery depends
on its species and health. You can't change your tree's species, but you can impact its health
in the years ahead.
Get valuable assistance in your effort to ensure long term health of mature trees. A Certified Arborist
from our staff can provide landowners with a course of action to tilt the scales of nature in the tree's
favor for these next critical years. Please contact us for a Site/Species evaluation
before trouble arises.
Trees with lesser or no apparent damage
This is an entirely different consideration. A tree could appear incredibly healthy yet be
structurally compromised. A loss of a few main leads or branches, and/or a loss of surrounding
trees, will expose a tree to entirely different loads due to future wind. These may place stresses
on areas that the tree originally did not grow to support. Such stresses, coupled with other
potential problems such as internal decay, can lead to failure. It is not uncommon to lose a tree
due to conditions originating in storm damage years in the past. Our staff understands the dynamics
of the tree system.
A Site/Species evaluation by us will address and document these concerns, and if necessary suggest
methods of further evaluation or mitigation. One of our services is the latest in technology for
assessing internal decay using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
A Tree Radar Unit (TRU) is used to scan the trunk of trees that
exhibit signs or symptoms of decay. We are proud to be the only company in New York state
to provide our customers with this level of analysis, far more effective than a visual inspection
of your valuable trees.
Replacing lost trees
Many of the tree and branch failures were from trees that in urban forestry are classified as "High risk species".
It is imperative that the right tree be placed on the right site. If this was done years ago, many of the
failures suffered may have been avoided. Though we cannot go back in time and correct the choices of the
past, we can certainly utilize the information currently available in urban forestry. Let's use this time
to plan and plant replacements with attention to long term tree health.
A Site analysis will provide an arborist the necessary information needed to custom match a tree to
the site. Though weather events can take a toll on even the best planned landscapes, proper planning
can limit the loss of the trees into which you invest so much time and emotional resources.
Professional help in planning & action
Please view our other service offerings and feel free
to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Remember that it is not only the city and county foresters that need to concern themselves with long term
planning. Your yards make up a large portion of Western New York's Urban Green Resource. You faced
this storm as a community and now you have the opportunity to impact the region's urban forest for
the good. Please join us in accomplishing this task, one yard at a time.