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  • After a Hurricane
  • Wind-Resistant Urban Forests
      • Establishing a Wind-Resistant Urban Forest
      • Managing a Wind-Resistant Urban Forest
  • Tree Solutions
      • Evaluating Hazards
      • Lessons Learned
      • Nursery Concerns
      • Preventing Problems
      • Restoration Pruning
      • Treating Damaged Trees and Palms
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Trees and Hurricanes

Trees and Hurricanes

landscaping with trees outside condominiums

Preventing Problems

Damage to trees from storms can be minimized by designing and implementing a tree management plan. Unfortunately, most folks are unaware that designing and executing a plan can help prevent problems.

  • Prevention Strategies for New Plantings

    Prevention Strategies for New Plantings

    • Design the site appropriately
    • Select the right tree for the right place
    • Choose good-quality nursery stock
    • Plant trees appropriately
    • Preventively prune
    • Develop and execute a preventive maintenance plan, including the procedures below.
  • Prevention Strategies for Existing Trees

    Prevention Strategies for Existing Trees

    General Procedures

    • Root collar examination
    • Root depth determination
    • Rooting space evaluation
    • Lower trunk assessment
    • Middle and upper trunk assessment
    • Canopy and branches
    • Preventive pruning
    • Do not cut roots on existing trees

    Special Situations

    • Leaning trees
    • Young trees
    • Mature Trees
    • Trees close to curbs and sidewalks
    • Trees in parking lot islands/medians
    • Isolated trees
    • Trees near buildings
    • Species of special concern
    • Species resistant to damage
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School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences
136 Newins-Ziegler Hall PO Box 110410 Gainesville, FL 32611-0410
(352) 846-0850

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