Research Conducted at University of Canterbury Has Provided New Information about Urban Forestry (Root Pruning Negatively Affects Tree Value: a Comparison of Tree Appraisal Methods)

2019 OCT 04 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Ecology Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Urban Research - Urban Forestry. According to news originating from Christchurch, New Zealand, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Tree value is sometimes appraised to account for losses linked to insurance claims or legal disputes. In many of the appraisal methods used, tree value is influenced by vitality, size, and lifespan.”

Financial support for this research came from Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Canterbury, “These three factors can all be negatively impacted by nearby construction activities - ultimately impacting the monetary value of urban trees and the greater urban forest. The objectives of this study were to determine whether tree value was affected by root pruning, and to compare the effectiveness of four common, parametric tree appraisal methods for this purpose. Data from three individual root pruning studies (with varying levels of root pruning) were used. Four different tree valuation methods (CTLA Trunk Formula Method 9th Edition (CTLA), the Revised Burnley Method (Burnley), the Helliwell Method (Helliwell), and the Standard Tree Evaluation Method (STEM)) were used to assess the value of trees prior to and one growing season after root removal, as well as the average of all four methods. By examining the effects of root removal (reduced growth and vitality) over the course of a growing season, the results show that appraised tree value was negatively affected (Delta value (%)) by root pruning. A general trend towards greater loss in value with increasing root removal intensity was observed for all methods for one or more treatment type (p < 0.01) when compared to control (non-root pruned) trees. The values appraised using the CTLA and Burnley methods changed incrementally across treatments given the fine resolution of the scales in the awarding criteria. STEM and Helliwell were generally insensitive to root removal treatments. Linear mixed model analyses using four independent variables (maximum severed root diameter, % tree protection zone removed, total number of severed roots, and an allometric variable (Ar-(GL)) defined as the total cross-sectional area of severed roots as a proportion of trunk cross-sectional area at ground level) revealed that % tree protection zone removal was the best performing tool for predicting percentage loss in value following root removal.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Our results may be useful to those seeking compensation when tree damage has occurred due to construction-related activities.”

For more information on this research see: Root Pruning Negatively Affects Tree Value: a Comparison of Tree Appraisal Methods. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2019;43():. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening can be contacted at: Elsevier Gmbh, Hackerbrucke 6, 80335 Munich, Germany. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Urban Forestry & Urban Greening - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/urban-forestry-and-urban-greening/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from A.R. Benson, University of Canterbury, New Zealand School of Forestry, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126376. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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