Mike VanHelder wrote:
I think it far more likely that the guys that did the sidewalk simply
chopped through all of the tree roots on that side of the tree, thus
destabilizing them and making them helpless to resist the high winds of the
storm. This theory is supported by the fact that when the trees fell, the
roots that came up out of the ground on that side showed signs of cutting,
not tearing or snapping. Also, the workers were seen by several local
residents cutting through the trees, and when one raised a stability
concern, the (presumed) foreman just shrugged it off.
yes, I heard this same explanation. a contributing factor
may also be that this type of pear tree (bradford pear?) can
get 'top-heavy' -- all their branches tend to grow out from
a single point on the trunk (like an upside down broom)
unless judiciously pruned... you can see what I mean in
kyle's photo:
http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2007/2007%2D04%2D16%2Dtrees/2.html
I've seen these same trees become split down the middle
after a summer storm...
here's more info about these trees, why they're popular in
urban settings but also why they're risky:
http://www.scnps.org/articles/pears.html
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2002/bradford_pears.htm
http://www.aces.edu/dept/extcomm/newspaper/may10b01.html
..................
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
[aka laserbeam®]
[aka ray]
SERIAL LIAR. CALL FOR RATES.
still, I am fond of these pear trees, because
they blossom right around my birthday...
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