Supression

The removal or suppression of trees in urban environments should preferably be part of the municipal tree management plan, as an activity conditioned to monitoring the health of trees and their interaction with the city, which, in turn, should integrate the inventory. arboreal. Action may be required due to:

  • fall risk,
  • urban sprawl,
  • interference of the tree growth in the local infrastructure (electrical wiring, rainwater network, water supply, sanitary sewage, sidewalks, etc.),
  • effective fall (total or partial) as a result of bad weather or accidents,
  • can also be demanded by citizens.

However, the action is always preceded by the evaluation and authorization of the competent public bodies; in the latter case, in general, civil defense is activated

Main factors that influence the risk of trees breaking or falling

structural defects

  • wood decline – rot, fungus, cavities, open cracks or bulges;
  • cracks – along the trunk, many due to incorrect pruning;
  • root problems – inadequate ground anchoring, damage or kinking;
  • weak union of branches;
  • cankers – dead segments due to the action of fungi, insects, lightning or mechanical injuries;
  • alterations in the typical architecture of the species, generating imbalance and structural weakness;
  • branches, tips or dead tree.

Species

  • the wood of some species have structural conditions and main materials.

size and age

  • The largest and oldest are apt to become unfavorable and more modifiable conditions, devitalization and other disorders. On the other hand, growing trees accelerate to being structurally weaker, being more likely, even young.
Árvore muito grande, destruindo calçadas, no bairro de Pinheiros, município de São Paulo, SP. Foto: PodaLab

Location and surroundings

  • More isolated trees, in small beds, with barriers to the roots, planted in shallow or poorly compacted soils are more affected by the winds.

Weather conditions

  • Locations with winds from different directions offer greater risk.

Maintenance practices

  • inadequate pruning.

Potential targets

  • probability of hitting people, cars or homes by falling trees in areas of greater flow or density.

The suppression activity from the perspective of the use of wood

This is a specialized service, which requires well-trained personnel and adequate equipment, depending on the dimensions and weight of the trunk and branches segments, which can cause accidents with the team or passers-by, or material damage to the surroundings.

Thus, from the point of view of the subsequent use of the cut wood, it is recommended that the practices and equipment used are adequate, whenever the surrounding conditions allow, to expand the possibilities of processing and use of the material. The most recommended equipment for pruning and suppression operations are:

  • chainsaw
  • pruner with telescopic arm
  • munck truck with wood grapple or
  • tractor with grapple for wood and trailer
  • mini mobile sawmill
  • leaf vacuum blower
  • pruning saw with curved saw
  • kit A02 – complete tree pruning arboriculture
  • extendable ladder
  • reels, sisal rope and hot stick
  • buckets
  • chipper
Caminhão munck com garra para madeira

Replacement of the deleted copy

Finally, following the recommendations of the local afforestation plans and aiming at, at least, the maintenance of the tree cover, it is important to replace the removed specimen by the seedling of a new plant, on the site or nearby. The chosen species, the size of the seedling and its expected size in adulthood must be adequate to the soil and climate conditions, the occupation of the soil and the traffic in the surroundings, preferring, whenever possible, species native to the local biome.