Hazard indicators in urban trees. Case studies on Platanus x hispanica Mill. ex Münchh and Morus alba L. in Mendoza city-Argentina * Indicadores de riesgo en el arbolado urbano. Casos de estudio en Platanus hispanica y Morus alba en la ciudad de Mendoza-Argentina

MARTINEZ, CLAUDIA FERNADA; COELHO-DUARTE, ANA PAULA

REVISTA DE LA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS AGRARIAS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CUYO

UNIV NACIONAL CUYO

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2023 vol. 55 p. 152 - 165

0370-4661

Urban forests significantly benefit cities and people´s wellbeing. However, under suboptimal growth conditions, they can pose risks. The tree risk and tree hazard assessments in public spaces bring together several protocols for preventing damage to people and property. This article aims to strengthen the database on forest resources at the urban scale and to identify key characteristics of relevant species of street trees in Mendoza-Argentina. In terms of methodology, trees of Platanus hispanica (London Plane tree) and Morus alba (Mulberry tree) were evaluated in situ by indicators related to the probability of failure such as defects, injuries and stress signals. The results show deterioration of part of the urban forest, as well as the greater resilience of P. hispanica when compared to M. alba. We conclude that systematically implementing these assessments will provide guidelines for the sustainable management of urban trees, improving forest infrastructure under sustainable development guidelines.