In this episode, Lauren Grand is joined by Glenn Ahrens and Scott Altenhoff to discuss the impact of storms on Oregon’s forests.
“The old adage, ‘A stitch in time can save nine’ – preventative maintenance, although it is an expense, it can really pay off in dividends.”
– Scott Altenhoff, Program Manager for Urban and Community Forestry Assistance for the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Listen Here
Watch with Subtitles
Resources Mentioned
- Veteran Trees: A Guide To Good Management
- ODF Urban Forests Site
- Competition and Density in Woodland Stands
- OSU Extension Catalog (More Learning Resources & Publications)
- Treatment options for young forest stands damaged by fire or ice
Favorite Tree(s)
Interesting/Helpful Tools
Hypsometer (Glenn)
Binoculars (Scott)
Thank you for this great information. I live in an urban neighborhood with a large number of very large Douglas Fir Tress and we had many of them them fall, some with catastrophic consequences during this last ice storm. In terms of preventing/managing risk factors, how do “berms” impact the root system of these large trees? There are many locations where people have built dirt berms (for various reasons) within the drip line around these tress. Is this a good idea? Can berms be done in a way that doesn’t affect the strength of the root system with regards to: *type of material used? *height of berm? distance of berm around the tree 1/4, 1/3, whole? *time taken to create the berm (6″ per year, etc)?
Thank You for your time!
I’ve reached out to ODF’s Urban Forestry program to help us answer these questions. I’ll reply to this comment when they get back to us.
Hi Cathy! Thank you again for your question and sorry for the long wait. After talking to our urban forestry expert, putting a berm in the critical root zone of a tree is only beneficial if it will protect the tree from repeated collisions or other mechanical damage. We recommend getting a qualified arborist to determine if the berm is necessary and what exact specifications it will need because each tree and its soil conditions will be unique. This is because some species of trees tolerate berms better than others. For example, redwood is adapted to tolerating thick muddy deposits from flooding, while Douglas-fir is not. There are some general rules…as you mentioned, adding soil slowly over time can help the tree adapt, using the same soil substrate properties as what is in the ground, trying not to radically change what the tree would do naturally with its leaf litter. I hope this helps. if you have more questions please reach out to us directly at lauren.grand@oregonstate.edu