Yesterday's storm caused millions in damage across north Georgia, including destruction of many homes and trees. Thankfully, it only cost Memorial Park one beautiful tree, one of those lining the rubber path leading to the playground. (Our neighborhood was without power for much of the day.) I haven't heard from anyone who lost any in their yard.
That's a total of five trees lost from the park this month. The City of Atlanta Parks Department crews recently removed three that had been deemed ill or injured by the Arborist, and another tall pine toppled earlier this month after another storm, it's roots apparently weakened by the ongoing drought. One of the park's regular daily dog-walkers happened to be only a few feet away when it fell!
The thirty or so saplings donated by Trees Atlanta that were planted by MPCA volunteers a few years ago to help replace the many that have been lost in recent years are struggling valiantly against the drought, but they won't be large shade trees in our lifetimes, even those species that are large growth. Hundreds of thousands of big, old trees that Atlanta has always been known for, lost either for development or by accident, cannot be replaced at any price. Ten (or 50) young trees will not provide the shade canopy, the CO2 uptake, erosion control, reduction in ozone and temperature or the aesthetic beauty of one great oak or hickory -- caliper measurement formula notwithstanding.
(The big trees and their extensive root systems are particularly important to the residents of Wesley Drive and Woodward Way, who are subject to massive flooding. Who knows how high the water will be next time? People were kayaking from Riada to Woodley in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.)
Those who blithely throw around the term "tree replacement plan" are missing the point. It's like reconstructive facial surgery after a terribly disfiguring accident: It's very painful, expensive, and takes many years to get acceptable results. Sure, it's eventually a big improvement over the initial damage, but the person is never really like he was before.
Of course, planting new trees is a really good thing. The old ones are going to die someday, and in an "urban forest" like our neighborhood, there's little chance of a tree coming up on its own.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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2 comments:
One the major problems with the trees in the park is the human activity. Unsurfaced soil is not a very durable material and people/dogs/joggers going around the park is wearing the earth away from many trees roots. The only way to prevent this would be to ban human activity in the park (unlikely) or surface the existing trails to protect the tree roots underneath. David Quillian
Covering the roots of my trees with ANYTHING will deprive them of water and oxygen, causing decline and possibly death. Try not putting more stuff in my meadows and shady areas, and this will help me recover to be what I was intended to be. People ought to enjoy what I have to offer, but don't attract more than I can handle.
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