SURVEY OF PARKLAND TREES AFTER THE GREAT STORM OF OCTOBER 16, 1987

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Abstract
In the aftermath of the gale of October 16, 1987 a survey was conducted of 3,954 parkland trees in 20 plots in Southern England. These lay to the west of the worst-affected part of the country and encompassed a range of ownerships and soil types. Approximately a quarter of the trees had suffered significant damage. There were quite marked differences in the performance of the various species. Thus significant damage had occurred to 42 per cent of Tilia platyphyllos, 39 per cent of Populus spp, 38 per cent of Aesculus x carnea, 35 per cent of Quercus robur and 33 per cent of Tilia cordata. At the other end of the scale only 11 per cent of Platanus x acerifolia were damaged, 12 per cent of Cedrus atlantica and 15 per cent of Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus and Pinus sylvestris. Using data from a plot-by-plot comparison, there was a statistical basis for the finding that Tilia vulgaris, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Aesculus hippocastanum and Tilia platyphyllos lay on a progression from “least” to “most” damaged. The incidence of damage in a species tended to increase with trunk diameter but not with tree height. The tree species also differed in the nature of the damage suffered. Thus 52 per cent F. sylvatica, 72 per cent T. vulgaris and 73 per cent T. platyphyllos were uprooted while only 14 per cent Q. robur and 8 per cent A. hippocastanum failed in this way. By contrast 76 per cent Q. robur and 69 per cent A. hippocastanum showed branch failure as compared to 22 per cent F. sylvatica and less than 10 per cent for the two limes. Appreciable decay was much more commonly associated with root failure in F. sylvatica than in the limes. It was also much more common on Q. robur with branch failure than in A. hippocastanum. The brown rot fungus Laetiporus sulphureus was the most frequent cause of decay in the failed trees. Also common were the white rot fungi, Armillaria spp, Ustulina deusta and Ganoderma spp.

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