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Hong Kong Rhenish Church; Hong Kong Island Bonham Road Chinese Banyan(榕樹,細葉榕)
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Ficus microcarpa Chinese Banyan
(榕樹 , 細葉榕 )
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The remaining crown section has healthy dark green foliage and appears in good condition.
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However a closer investigation by a visual tree assessment (VTA) reveals many problems.
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The tree has experienced many events of major construction.
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Amendments to roots, soil and surrounding site.
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Regular abuse during construction projects etc. as area was developed.
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Roots cut & cement poured.
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Roots cut on both sides: cut to wall & edge.
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Climbing the tree also reveals many problems.
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Decay, discolor & cracks.
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Very large incorrect cuts leaving a major scaffold branch decaying in the center of tree.
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Continues to rot out & produce fungus down and into the tree trunk and half the one side of the entire tree.
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Large scaffold branch section over drive entrance also has large dead crown portions.
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Dead limb grows towards building.
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Very large dead stem is an obvious hazard here.
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This very large dead stem hangs directly over entrance.
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Decay progressed back into wood.
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Location of dead stem dangerous.
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Previously cut incorrectly to blunt stubs.
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Hole in upper branch also facing the main building.
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Hole and poor structure in upper branch also over entrance and facing widows.
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Termites found throughout decayed wood.
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Removal of cement reveals a decaying trunk.
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Many termites throughout the decayed sections and cavities of the tree.
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Termite control hired.
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Termite control broke open the cement cover.
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Removal of cement covering reveals 25cm rotted center core of 45cm trunk previously cut down. Likely other construction project.
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Wood decayed 1.5 meters under main trunk of remaining tree section: no heartwood in center of main trunk, hole almost 2 meters under tree center.
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Additional dead parts directly over the public walkway, notice people walking below the dead branches.
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High traffic area presents many risks.
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Although many would like to save every tree considering the location where many people are always located and given the conditions of the tree a high level of risk is rated to this tree in a series of measurements.
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Local environmental conditions present many challenges for tree survival.
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Conclusions:
Consider tree condition,tree species, tree location, size of part that could fail and targets
rating... Rated as 10 Risk on level of 3 to 12 for hazard level.
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The sad results of progress and lack of knowledge and awareness of tree requirements for preservation.
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Contact Picker or other ATP Ltd. Arborist Consultants at donpicker@atptree.com or call at (852) 9124-8291, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; donpickertreeconsulting@gmail.com
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Arborist's impression of original tree form prior to construction events and cutting... as much as 40+% of the original tree could have been lost.
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