A Mechanistic Prediction Model of Resistance to Uprooting of Coniferous Trees in Heilongjiang Province, China

Abstract

Coarse roots and the root plate play an important role in tree resistance to uprooting. In this study, a qualitative mechanistic model was developed to analyze coniferous tree resistance to uprooting in relation to tree morphological characteristics. The sizes of the crown, stem, and root plate of twenty sample spruces and twenty sample Korean pines were individually measured for this purpose. Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), the coarse root distribution and root plate size were detected. In the qualitative mechanistic model, a larger crown area increased the overturning moment, while higher DBH and root plate mass increased the resistance moment. The resistance coefficient (Rm) was calculated by comparing resistive and overturning moments, classifying samples into three uprooting hazard levels. Trees with smaller crown areas, larger stems, and root plates tend to have higher resistance to uprooting, as indicated by higher Rm values. This qualitative mechanistic model provides a useful tool for assessing coniferous standing tree uprooting resistance.