Research on conflicts between maintenance equipment and landscape trees

The University of Canterbury study, Conflicts between landscape trees and lawn maintenance equipment - the first look at an urban epidemic explores the impact of mechanical lawn care equipment on urban trees.

Highlights

• Mechanical wounding of trees by lawn maintenance equipment is quantified for the first time.
• 62.9% of 1018 trees had at least one wound, 93.6% of 389 trees with surface roots have at least one wound.
• 17.8% of trees had more than 10 wounds, 87.3% of these trees had surface roots.
• Maintenance activities (e.g. mulch) significantly reduced the incidence of mechanical wounding.
• Results justify the use of tree maintenance practices that keep grass away from the stem.
• Reducing mechanical wounding will maximize ecosystem services from urban forests.