Hurricane Igor Impacts at Northern Latitudes: Factors Influencing Tree Fall in an Urban Setting    (View PDF)

Yolanda F. Wiersma, Troy L. Davis, Elizabeth C. Eberendu, Ian Gidge, Maria Jewison, Hiliary C. Martin, Kaylah C. Parsons, Heidi Patterson, and Ashley Quirke

Abstract: Hurricane Igor was a Category 1 hurricane when it passed the island of Newfoundland, Canada, causing extensive damage. Hurricanes are uncommon at northern latitudes, and boreal species are not adapted to hurricane-force winds. Moreover, much of the storm damage was in the urban area of the City of St. John’s, where there are also numerous non-native trees. This research tested whether there were attributes of trees (e.g., height, diameter at breast height, slenderness, species, age, or distance to nearest tree) that may have influenced whether a tree fell or was left standing. The study authors sampled 70 trees and found that DBH was a significant predictor of tree fall (snapping or uprooting). Conifers were no more or less likely to fall in the storm than deciduous trees, nor were native trees more or less susceptible to wind damage than non-natives. These results suggest that for a boreal, urban ecosystem, there are no target species available that could be planted strategically to minimize risk of tree fall in a major wind event. Thus, to minimize storm damage to human-built infrastructure in regions where hurricanes are rare, the best strategy would be to avoid having large trees located in close proximity to infrastructure.

Keywords: Abies balsamea; Acer platanoides; Acer pseudoplatanus; Betula papyrifera; Boreal Forest; Hurricane; Picea mariana; Tilia americana; Tree Damage; Urban Forest; Wind Damage.

https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2012.014