One city made a disastrous decision by installing this pathway.
A Redditor grew concerned about their town's trees after the city installed a sidewalk straight through the woodland, and asked the experts on r/arborists for advice.
"Do they have any hope of survival?" they asked. "... [a new sidewalk] resulted in at least 30 mature trees having their exposed roots, and as seen in the first picture, actual trunk … Shaved off to make room. Are they doomed now?"
To make room for the sidewalk, the landscapers sliced through several trees. Sides of the trunks are shaved down, and some have their roots chopped off.
Haphazardly cutting roots and trunks puts many of these trees at risk of falling over,
putting pedestrians in danger. As the roots continue to grow, they'll likely break up and through the sidewalk, which will then need to be repaired or replaced. It's a dangerous and costly decision, and it could've been completely avoided with proper planning.
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As the trees die, residents also miss out on the benefits trees offer. Trees provide an incredible cooling effect for the surrounding area. According to Tree Equity Score, "adequate tree cover on a city block can provide up to 10 degrees of cooling."
Trees also absorb carbon dioxide, helping cool the planet and clean the surrounding air. The most beneficial trees are native ones. Like other native plants, they require less water and maintenance, saving both money and time.
They also create a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, which aid crop growth and help secure our food supply. Native trees, plants, and natural grasses are all beneficial for humans and the environment.
Some of the trees are beyond saving, but the original poster said they plan to "reach out to some type of local arborist organization" regardless.
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Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 Commenters were shocked by the city's careless installation.
"Some will absolutely die. Some will be stressed and have some dieback. Some may not really be affected at all. It will take 2-5 years for the damage to become evident though," a Redditor wrote.
"Photo one is doomed. Others are hard to say," another agreed.
"Wounds this size could have been easily avoided while still installing an ADA/PROWAG-compliant sidewalk. Installers and designers were lazy and careless," a third user said.
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