Formation of Tree Snags

Live trees become snags when they are damaged by fire, lightening, inclement weather, disease, drought, too much shade, too much water, root complications, and land development. Many things can kill a tree, which is why routine tree care is so important. Trees require an optimal amount of water, sunlight, and nutrients, just like most living organisms. When these needs are not met or well-balanced, trees will begin to experience decline. As they weaken, they become more vulnerable to illness, disease, and disruption. To property owners, this is bad news, but for local wildlife, a snag is simply another home opened on the market.

A Wildlife Habitat

Snags, or dead standing trees, are also known as “wildlife trees” because they provide a critical habitat for more than 100 species of wildlife. Wild animals like squirrels, bats, raccoons, owls, birds, and more, use snags as their nesting or roosting area, and for many reasons. Not only is a snag easy to rip apart to form crevices and cavities, many naturally form hollowed areas and holes for animals to use as shelter.

Formations like hollow trunks, excavated cavities, and dead branches are highly useful for wildlife, and can keep them warm and protected during the harsh winter seasons. In fact, without snags, many species of wildlife would not survive the inclement weather this time of year. Furthermore, decaying wood produces and attracts a variety of decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, insects, and other invertebrates. Snags are a terrific habitat for these organisms, which also makes them a rich source of food for wildlife.

Signs of a Dead or Dying Tree

To identify a snag, you will want to start by looking at its appearance. Discoloration, missing foliage, dry bark, sap runs, wildlife interference, and more, are all common signs of a sick or dead tree. For instance, a dead tree will have brittle, dry bark. If you snap a twig in half and the inner flesh is dull, white, or gray, the tree is likely dead. If the flesh inside the twig is still yellow or green, your tree is still alive. However, a tree be alive, but also be on the verge of dying. So it is important to learn the signs of a dying tree as well, which we will cover in next month’s blog!

Fishers Tree Services 317-537-9770

When a person or company initially purchases a piece of property, there can be undesirable aspects of the property that may reveal themselves after the papers are signed. One of the most common adverse qualities of a home or business property is outside noise. Noise such as traffic, parks, school grounds, bus stations, taxi’s, and even nature can influence the level of peace, serenity, and comfort from within the property.

When this happens, there is not much a general contractor can do to reduce the amount of noise that is heard from outside the property. One cannot just remove a park, or birds from the trees; instead, home and business owners have installed extra insulation, and various other construction tricks to eliminate these noises; however, these projects are expensive and time-consuming. There is another way to effectively reduce the noise heard from within a property or home without ripping out the walls and floorboards. The answer is trees! Continue reading to learn how strategically planted trees can effectively reduce noise coming from outdoors.

Advantages of Landscaping Trees

Not only can trees add value, beauty, and environmental benefits to your property, they have various other benefits as well. Trees that are planted and placed as a boundary on a property or piece of land create environmentally-friendly alternative to wooden privacy fencing. Most importantly, it creates a natural buffer from outside noise pollution. It is recommended by tree and landscaping specialists to place the trees as close to the source of noise as possible. Depending on the square-footage of the property, additional landscaping methods may need to be implemented. Here are some standard guidelines on planting or placing trees as a buffer on your property:

☙ Traffic Noise Reduction

Roads with traffic that exceeds 40 mph can create a significant amount of noise pollution on private properties. In this case, a 20 to 50 foot wide buffer needs to be planted at least 20 to 50 feet of the center of the traffic lanes nearest the property.

☙ Safety Precautions

Be sure the trees that being placed as a buffer are not immediate dangers for vehicular collisions on the road. Ask yourself if the trees stand to be immediate impact for any driver that may veer off the road. If so, then placing the trees back farther from the road is the safer option. Also, ask yourself if the trees are the appropriate species and can handle seasonal changes and harsh weather conditions. For example, if harsh snows fall, can the tree withstand the extra weight of the precipitation? Also, are the trees strong enough to withstand standard local snow and ice removal?

☙ Using the Appropriate Species of Tree

The best tree to use in the North American regions for natural noise reduction is evergreens. These species of tree can effectively reduce noise by disrupting sound waves with their thick web of branches and foliage. Also, evergreens are not deciduous trees, meaning they do not shed their leaves seasonally. This means no bare branches and noise interruption come fall and winter. They stay full and thick all year long.

☙ Creating the Best Buffer

It is ideal to double-up when placing trees as buffers around a property. The thicker the boundary, the less noise is likely to pass through. Make the buffer as dense as possible. Two or three layers is significantly more effective than one. Although it can be expensive to plant this many trees within your budget, it can be a great investment to the property. If budget truly is an issue, start slow; instead, plant a new row of buffers each year or every other year. Eventually, you will achieve the noise reduction you were after to begin with!

Fishers Tree Service

Tree Service Fishers Indiana 317-537-9770

Call 317-537-9770 for professional tree service in Fishers, Indiana. We are highly trained and experienced tree care contractors that offer a wide range of residential and commercial tree services at competitive prices. We also offer tree service coupons and discounts! Call 317-537-9770 to request a free estimate for Fishers tree service, today.

Tree Service Fishers, Indiana

Monthly Archives: December 2017

What is a Snag?