Are you building a new home or doing renovations? Are you doing some serious landscaping or building a new driveway? Considering how valuable trees are to homeowners (increasing property value, mitigating costs of heating/cooling, and improving mental health), most people want to protect their trees. But even if you don’t care if you lose a tree or two during construction, a homeowner should definitely be aware of the consequences of construction. Think of what happens if someone unknowingly harms a tree that is growing directly next to a new building site: the tree begins to die, close to a unit, and becomes a significant liability for the homeowner.
Trees are seriously affected by man and machine impacts during construction. Obvious physical damage to the trunk and crown of the tree can be caused by passing machines and materials. The “silent” killers happen when there is damage to the roots. A root system is NOT a mirror image of the aboveground tree--it is 1 to 3 times greater, horizontally, than the height of the tree! Adding soil or increasing the grade, even just a few inches, effectively “smothers” the special water- and mineral-absorbing roots that are growing close to the surface. Root damage is also caused by heavy foot traffic or heavy machinery compacting the soil, limiting water penetration and decreasing the oxygen needed for root survival. Digging and trenching can damage or cut roots, making it difficult for the tree to stay upright in storms. And if you have to remove a few trees in a cluster, be aware that new exposure to the elements will affect the remaining trees, including sunscald and limb breakage from wind.
You can certainly protect your trees and property by planning prior to construction--though not all trees may be feasibly saved. You can consult with an arborist to get advice on which trees are best suited for certain locations depending on the health and structural integrity of a tree, and its species, age, and size. You can talk to your contractor to make sure all workers are aware of your needs and desires. Setting up sturdy perimeters around vulnerable and prized trees is a great way to protect them: set a fence ONE foot from the trunk for EVERY INCH of the tree’s diameter. Think ahead and educate yourself so that you make the best choices for your trees and for your property. Planning can save you a big surprise headache!