PROPOSAL FOR A SYSTEM OF TREES FALL POTENTIAL RISK ASSESSMENT IN URBAN PARKS1

Isaias Jesus Conceição,Rafael Paiva Samolão,Antônio Cordeiro De Santana

doi:10.1590/1806-90882017000400008

Isaias Jesus Conceição, Rafael Paiva Samolão + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-90882017000400008

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to create a system to assess the potential tree fall risk (SARPQA) and to assess all the trees in the Museum Paraense Emílio Goeldi Zoo (PZB/MPEG) and in the Rodrigues Alves Park/Botanical Garden of Amazônia (BRA/JBA). We analyzed aspects, such as diameter at breast height (DBH), tree total heigh, surface biomass, apparent phytosanitary, stem inclination, canopy balance and presence of lianas. We assessed 1074 trees (DBH e” 20 cm) distributed in 229 species and 40 families. The average stem height, the total height and diameter at breast height were 10.9 m, 18.7 m and 41.9 cm respectively. The SARPQA showed that 23 trees had very high risk of fall, 142 had high risk, 750 individuals had medium and low risk and 159 had very low risk. Both parks have hundreds of large trees, which associated with the amount of people using these spaces, can increase the risk of accidents by tree fall. Trees with high risk of fall need immediate attention because they present risks to human life and/or property. The system proposed in this study proved to be practical and can be an effective tool for decision makers in the management of urban parks.

Highlights

Urban forests are a frequent topic in discussions about green spaces within urban environments
Taking into account the relevance of trees fall risk assessment for decision making on urban afforestation, this study aim to propose a tree fall potential risk assessment system and carry out a assessment of the trees from Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi Zoo (PZB/ Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi (MPEG)) and from Bosque Rodrigues Alves Jardim Botânico da Amazônia (BRA/JBA) combining qualitative and quantitative aspects
These spaces are the main parks of the capital of Pará, preserving part of the Amazonian biodiversity, and present an expressive number of visitors looking for leisure and contact with nature (Barreiros et al, 2005; Figueiredo et al, 2013)

Summary

Introduction

Urban forests are a frequent topic in discussions about green spaces within urban environments. Trees in urban centers can cause a number of problems, such as the lifting of the sidewalks due to the growth of the roots, the fall of fruits, branches or the tree itself. These events may cause accidents and damage to people and property (Randrup et al, 2003). Due to the possible damages that a tree fall can cause is relevant to know the phytosanitary conditions of trees in public places that concentrate a large flow of people Among these places are parks, which are large areas for social interaction and important components of the local landscape formation (Pivetta and Silva Filho, 2002; Silva et al, 2007)

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