CNA Explains: Are falling trees a problem and what can be done about them?

CNA2024-12-27

SINGAPORE: After a tree fell and killed two tourists in Bali earlier in December, authorities said the plant had been healthy and that the incident was caused by "strong winds and extreme weather ...

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href=\"https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cna-explains-are-falling-trees-problem-and-what-can-be-done-about-them-4815566\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n","source":"can_highlight","html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>CNA Explains: Are falling trees a problem and what can be done about them?</title>\n<style 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margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nCNA Explains: Are falling trees a problem and what can be done about them?\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2024-12-27 06:00 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cna-explains-are-falling-trees-problem-and-what-can-be-done-about-them-4815566><strong>CNA</strong></a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\n<p>SINGAPORE: After a tree fell and killed two tourists in Bali earlier in December, authorities said the plant had been healthy and that the incident was caused by \"strong winds and extreme weather ...</p>\n\n<a href=\"https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cna-explains-are-falling-trees-problem-and-what-can-be-done-about-them-4815566\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","isBrief":false,"type":0,"news_type":1,"symbol":"BK4107","symbol_name":"财产与意外伤害保险","start_time":0,"source_url":"https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cna-explains-are-falling-trees-problem-and-what-can-be-done-about-them-4815566","article_id":"2494813265","we_media_id":null,"thumbnails":["https://dam.mediacorp.sg/image/upload/s--Bjy7cFlp--/c_fill,g_auto,h_468,w_830/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mediacorp/cna/image/2024/09/17/prd_2024_8_17_f9b09930-74f3-11ef-8acc-a9149e74679e_1726577663401-me1b6159a6f0190095f2b8fc7a3501d7d4.jpeg?itok=5S42fCAO"],"rights":null,"url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=2494813265","pubTimestamp":1735250400,"columns":[],"sourceInfo":{"source_id":"can_highlight","name":"CNA"},"weMediaInfo":null,"summary":"A closer look at the causes and signs of a tree toppling - and when the risks are greater.","collect":0,"end_time":0,"defaultTopTitle":"channelnewsasia.com","property":[],"viewcount":null,"language":"en","relate_stocks":{"BK4107":"财产与意外伤害保险","5GC.SI":"斯恩威","CNA":"CAN金融"},"translate_title":"CNA解释道：倒下的树木是一个问题吗？对此我们能做些什么？","themeId":null,"isJumpTheme":false,"ttsUrl":null,"symbols_score_info":{"5GC.SI":1,"CNA":1},"content_text":"SINGAPORE: After a tree fell and killed two tourists in Bali earlier in December, authorities said the plant had been healthy and that the incident was caused by \"strong winds and extreme weather conditions beyond human control\". \nSimilar accidents involving falling trees have caused deaths, damaged property and disrupted traffic in other parts of Asia, including Singapore.\nWhat could cause a tree to fall?\nEnvironmental conditions could be a factor, said senior horticulturist and arborist Athi Ramesh from landscaping firm Prince's Landscape.\nHorticulturists are experts in garden cultivation and management while arborists are tree surgeons.\nProlonged wet weather could affect a tree's stability when too much rain leads to stagnant water, reducing soil particles attached to the tree's roots.\nThe tree could also end up retaining more water in its canopy, increasing the weight on its branches and trunk and resulting in a collapse, said Mr Ramesh.\nTrees which grow in consistently wet weather also tend to develop shallow roots, as they don't need to extend deeper in search of water, he added. \nAt the other extreme, drought and dry weather can also cause soil to disintegrate and crack, reducing its ability to firmly anchor tree roots. \n\"It also hinders the growth of young feeder roots, which play a vital role in binding the soil together,\" Mr Ramesh said.\nAnother common issue is nearby construction as well as vehicular or even human traffic.\nThese can damage roots and compact the soil, restricting root growth and the ability to absorb nutrients and water - as well as to support the weight of the tree's crown or canopy.\nA tree's own characteristics can also play a part.\nFast-growing species often develop weaker stems and branches, according to Mr Ramesh. \nAnd those with codominant structures - where the stem from a single point of origin branches out into more than one - are more prone to falling.\nOthers have shallow root systems or brittle branches and twigs, making them more vulnerable to external forces. \nMr Ramesh pointed out that trees with shallow roots and heavy crowns -  such as the Falcataria falcata and African Tulip - are commonly found in Singapore's forested areas.\n\n\n\n\nAre there signs to look out for?\nA tree at risk of falling may show signs of structural weakness. These include leaning, cracks or splits in the trunk, soil lifting around the roots or decay and infestations, said Mr Ramesh.\nThe latter can occur below ground, making it undetectable without specialised methods. One of these is root exploratory trenching, which involves excavating the soil around the tree base to examine the condition of the roots.\nIt's not possible to predict exactly when a tree may fall. But there are events that heighten the risk of that happening, said Mr Ramesh.\nInclement weather like lightning strikes, strong winds or monsoon and rainy seasons, are examples.\nIn an urban setting, trees located between buildings could also face increased wind exposure due to a wind tunnelling effect.\nUnpredictable conditions such as microbursts - strong downward rushes of wind  - can also topple trees, even healthy ones. \n\n\n\n\nHow are the risks mitigated?\nThrough a combination of proper care, maintenance, regular inspections and environmental management, said Mr Ramesh.\nAt Mr Ramesh's landscaping firm, visual tree inspections are conducted every six months alongside pruning. \nHere, an arborist evaluates the tree height, trunk girth and overall health and structure. \nBased on observations, the arborist will then recommend steps such as removing parasites, fertilisation and chemical treatments. \nIt's not too different for Singapore's National Parks Board (NParks), which manages 6 out of 7 million trees in the country. \nAbout 2 million overseen by NParks are urban trees along roads, in parks and gardens, and on state land. The rest are further away from human traffic.\nThe statutory board has a regime of inspection which involves assessing the trees' overall form, roots, trunks, branches and crown; and pruning to improve structure and balance.\nGroup director of NParks' streetscape division Oh Cheow Sheng said trees are inspected every six to 24 months, with the frequency depending on location and age. \n\"This is stepped up during periods of adverse weather conditions to reduce the risk of tree failure incidents,\" he told CNA.\nAhead of adverse weather periods, NParks also reduces or thins the crowns of mature trees to manage their height and reduce wind resistance in the canopy. \nThe remaining 1 million trees are managed by town councils, private landowners and other entities.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat else does NParks do for trees? \nTo cope with climate change, which may lead to more frequent and intense rainfall if not prolonged dry weather, authorities select hardier and drought-tolerant trees that are also able to withstand the harsher growing conditions in Singapore's urban environment. \nNParks has also been replacing diseased and more vulnerable trees.\nMore of hardier species such as the Sea Gutta and Shore Laurel have been planted at parks, gardens and roadside verges, with their numbers increasing from around 25,400 in 2017 to 46,500 in 2023. \nMr Oh added that planting trees in a way that mimics a forest structure helps to increase their resilience. \n\"Trees are (then) able to provide mutual support, such as roots intertwining with nearby trees, and improved buffering against strong wind gusts,\" he said. \nThis forest structure also doubles up to make Singapore’s streets cooler and shadier for pedestrians. \nNParks also uses technology to monitor tree movements or to model the impact of strong winds on the stability of trees. This then helps to guide the thinking on intervention measures to take. \nAuthorities cited such measures in helping to lower the number of tree incidents in Singapore, from about 3,100 in 2001 to around 430 in 2023.\n\n\n\n\n\nWant an issue or topic explained? Email us at digitalnews [at] mediacorp.com.sg. Your question might become a story on our site.","kind":"highlight","is_publish_news":true,"is_publish_highlight":false,"is_publish_live":false,"is_publish_wemedia":null,"editions":null,"column":"","sentiment":"0","news_tag":"","news_rank":0,"symbols":[],"gpt_button":1},"commentList":[],"isCommentEnd":true,"newsSizeData":{"likeSize":0,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"favoriteSize":0,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false},"APP":{"userAgent":"Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)","isDev":false,"isTTM":true,"deviceId":"web-server-community-laohu8-v3","version":"4.29.4","shortVersion":"4.29.4","platform":"web","vendor":"web","appName":"ttm","isIOS":false,"isAndroid":false,"isTiger":false,"isTHS":false,"isWeiXin":false,"isWeiXinMini":false,"isWeiBo":false,"isQQ":false,"isBaiduSwan":false,"isBaiduBox":false,"isDingTalk":false,"isToutiao":false,"isOnePlus":false,"isHuaWei":false,"isXiaomi":false,"isXiaomiWebView":false,"isOppo":false,"isVivo":false,"isSamsung":false,"isMobile":false},"href":"/m/news/2494813265"}