Wind-thrown trees: Storms or management?

Abstract

Images of wind-thrown trees make for dramatic news coverage. The implied message in most coverage is that strong winds and heavy rain are the cause of the tree failure. However, is the storm the only cause of the tree falling? Many other, and often bigger, trees did not fall. This feature article reviews some of the current literature relating to windthrow of trees. The size and characteristics of tree canopies have a profound influence of the forces that winds exert on tree trunks and roots systems, while the characteristics of tree root systems often determine whether trees fail during storms. The results of a site inspection suggest that there may be other factors, such as the history of ..