ÌÞÊ/ÀiiÃ
)NTRODUCTION
,AST WINTER THE 5+ EXPERIENCED THE WETTEST WINTER EVER
RECORDED WITH FLOODING WIDESPREAD ACROSS MANY PARTS OF
SOUTHERN %NGLAND #ONSEQUENTLY MILLIONS OF TREES FACED
PROLONGED PERIODS OF WATERLOGGING STRESS 4HE 5+S
%NVIRONMENTAL !GENCY WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT SOILS
REMAIN FULLY SATURATED FOR UP TO TWO MONTHS EVEN WHEN
THE RAIN STOPS AND THE FLOOD WATERS SLOWLY DRAIN
7HILST ALL TREES HAVE EVOLVED TO TOLERATE SOME DEGREE OF
WATERLOGGING THE EXTENSIVE FLOODING LAST WINTER UNDOUBT
EDLY NEGATIVELY IMPACTED TREE HEALTH AND POTENTIALLY LEFT
TREES AT A GREATER RISK OF DISEASE ATTACK AND BY DEFAULT
WINDTHROW
0ROBLEMS #AUSED BY 7ATERLOGGING
7HILST IT MAY APPEAR TO BE A RELATIVELY SIMPLE PROBLEM
AT FIRST WATERLOGGING STRESS IS ACTUALLY A SERIES OF SIG
NIFICANT EVENTS AND PROCESSES THE SEVERITY OF WHICH
7>ÌiÀ]Ê7>ÌiÀÊÛiÀÞÜiÀi\
0HYSIOLOGICAL )MPACTS OF &LOODING ON 4REES
4UPSZBOE1IPUPTCZ-VLF)BJMFZ3FTFBSDI5FDIOJDJBOBOE1MBOU&DPMPHJTUBOE(MZOO1FSDJWBM)FBEPG3FTFBSDI#BSUMFUU5SFF
3FTFBSDI-BCPSBUPSZBUUIF6OJWFSTJUZPG3FBEJOH6OJUFE,JOHEPN
4HIS ARTICLE IS ADAPTED FROM ONE THAT APPEARED IN THE
SUMMER EDITION OF !XE TO 'RIND THE QUARTERLY
MAGAZINE OF THE -UNICIPAL 4REE /FFICERS !SSOCIATION
-4/! WHICH IS BASED IN 7EST -IDLANDS 5+ WWW
MTOACOUK 9OU CAN SEE THE MOST RECENT EDITION
OF !XE HERE HTTPISSUUCOMMACTHETREEDOCS
AXE??AUTUMN?
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