🚀 go-pugleaf

Update We have obtained the recent publication of the DoE  - a manual �The
Body Language of Trees�obtainable from HMSO -the government stationery
sales office -  which shows concern over the loss of �amenity trees�. It is
translated from the German and written by Prof.Klaus Matheck of Karlsruhe
University.

It is the amenity value of the Rusland Beeches  that appeals to the general
public and has been largely ignored by the Lake District National Park
Authority who have looked at the issue as though these are trees in a
Forestry Plantation which is not suprising as many menbers of the LDNPA
board represent large landowners in the Lake District.

The DoE obviously are concerned about this issue as evidenced by the
forward to this book which is given later.

*It is most likely that their views are substantially in disagreement with
those expressed by Derek Patch, Director of the AAIS.*

**Note : - Fairly long article in Monday 7/10/96 Independent Newspaper -
page 5 - on the Rusland Beeches which discusses the presence of unusual
bats that also have protection orders. These inhabit the most dangerous
trees (those with the most rotten wood) and could help protect the Beeches
from the axe. Also photo taken with fish eye lens which looks to me as
though the trees are falling inwards and hence a bit decrepit ! !

Quote from the preface �Body language of trees� published by DoE

The Department of the Environment is grateful to Claus Mattheck, Hedge
Breloer and the Karlsruhe Research Centre for their co-operation in the
production of this new English edition  of the author�s book �Handbuch der
Schadenskunde von Baumen�.

By providing a scientific basis for defining the various types of defect
that can occur in trees, this book should help all  those concerned with
the care and management of amenity trees towards more soundly based
judgments and decisions. It is fitting, therefore, that it should be
published  in the Department�s series �Research for Amenity Trees� which
aims to promote high standards of amenity tree care by ensuring that
research results are readily available to practitioners.

This book is a companion volume to �Diagnosis of Ill Health in
Trees�(number 2 in the series) and to a further manual, being produced for
the Department by the  Forestry Commission, which addresses the assessment
and management of hazardous trees
***************
TIMING AND THE REST OF THE STORY
Claus Mattheck and   Hedge Breloer have published their book on the failure
analysis of trees at the perfect time. During the last decade, concerns
over hazard trees have been increasing greatly. Information on tree biology
and tree care also has been increasing greatly over the last few decades.
Missing during these times was the rest of the story, a look at the tree
from the view of its mechanical design.
TREES ARE UNIQUE ORGANISMS
Trees are the tallest free-standing organisms in the world. Trees live
longer, and become more massive than any other organism ever to live on
earth. How do they do it? Trees bring together a unique biological system
that compartmentalizes infections and a structural form that resists heavy
loading.
LIMITS TO ALL SYSTEMS
Yes, the trees are big and tough. Yet they do have their limits for
maintaining the biological integrity and structural integrity of all their
parts. Insects and diseases do injure and kill trees. Branches do break.
Trunks do split. And roots do release their grip on the soil. When loading
increase beyond the intrinsic strength of any structure, failure of the
structure is inevitable. Or when one portion of the structure is weakened,
that weakened portion then will be the new position where failure is most
likely to occur after heavy loading.
Trees have branches that sway in the wind and bend when loaded with ice and
snow. The branch is well designed for swaying to the sides and bending
downward. But bending or swaying upward often brings on serious problems -
internal cracks.
CRACKS THE BEGINNING OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS
Trees have �learned� to deal with wounds and with rot very effectively.
After wounding, microorganisms usually infect and invade the newly exposed
wood. The tree responds against the forces of invasion by �building walls�
- chemical and structural - that compartmentalise the infection. The
ability to compartmentalise infections effectively is under moderate to
strong genetic control.  


In article <AE774B0C9668B0E59@tygh.demon.co.uk>,
geoff@tygh.demon.co.uk (Geoff Dellow) wrote:

>The Board decided to clear fell all the Beeches at their meeting today.
<snip>
>We are very disappointed with the decision and can only feel that the board
>are out of touch with the general public and will have to take the
>consequences from them for their actions. We suspect that the whole
>creditability of the National Park will suffer dramatically. I believe that
>this must be a warning world wide to all those that value mature trees to
>be on the look out to protect them as there could be very few to be found
>in as little as ten years and then we will ring our hands about the
>terrible decisions that were made at the turn of the century by people that
>should have been replaced by more sensitive people in touch with the
>public.
>
>>
>>If this decision goes ahead it will send shock waves all over Britain, and
>>possiblythe world to those that have mature trees overhanging either roads
>>or public footpaths with a right of way.  It will say that similar action
>>of felling apparently safe beautiful trees is not only permissible but
>>desirable if there is the remotest chance of  the public being  injured as
>>they travel or move close to them . A study of this area of Risk Analysis
>>is  urgently needed.
>>
>>The LDNPA plan to take this extraordinary step to fell all of these
>>magnificent  beeches which run alongside a country lane because they
>>believe that they are or will soon become unsafe. This is a complete
>>contradiction to their role as protectors of the environment and comes
>>about because they became the owners of the land that they acquired form
>>the Archibald Family in order to take care of them. Thus they are both
>>judge and applicant in this unusual case.

Apologies for previous posting which went out unintentially.

The present stage of the campaign focusses on the Department of the
Environment who must allow the lifting of the tree preservation orders