Urban Tree Management in Hong Kong Problems and Recommendations Prepared by the Conservancy Association June 2009 Introduction

As seen from the increasing number of media reports on urban trees in recent years, there has been enormous public concern on the problems and accidents related to urban trees. Among all these incidents, the breaking of a main branch of the Wishing Tree in Lam Tsuen in early 2005; tree topping in Leung King Estate in 2006; the collapse of one third of the King Banyans trunk in Kowloon Park in August 2007; and the fatal accident caused by the collapse of the Coral Tree in Stanley in 2008 received great community attention. The Conservancy Association (CA) strongly believes that they are resulted from the poor management of urban trees in Hong Kong and represent a general lack of expertise in arboriculture among relevant government officials and landscape contractors. We also believe that the lack of overarching tree protection legislation has led to the existing poor management of urban trees in Hong Kong. In this connection, we outline our comments on the current problems of tree management in Hong Kong and to propose a comprehensive strategy in managing our urban tree resources.

Long term greening effect

5. Tree protection

4. Tree assessment and risk management

3. Tree maintenance

2. Tree planting

1. Planning and tree selection

Fig 1. Essential stage of tree management to achieve long term greening effect in urban areas

Urban trees are essential for any cities, particularly in congested cities like Hong Kong. Apart from providing a more pleasant environment and adding more vitality components in area we live and work, urban trees can indeed help to ameliorate urban air pollution. The planting and maintenance of urban trees, especially in the dense city setting of Hong Kong, is a complex issue. There are several important and related stages in urban tree management which require careful consideration and attention in the formulation of a comprehensive tree management strategy (See Figure 1). Failure in any of the 5 stages will not only waste the resources and efforts being put in at earlier stages, but will also result in hazardous trees requiring more resources to deal with in the longer term. Let us look at those problems associated with these different stages in detail. 1. Planning and tree selection One of the most common problems affecting tree management in Hong Kong is inadequate space for urban trees to grow. The tree survey conducted by CA in 2007 revealed that our city has failed to provide enough space to 87% of the roadside trees studied (Figure 2). During rapid urban development in the past 20 to 30 years, we have by-and-large neglected the planning and care needed for trees to grow healthily. If not properly planted, when trees are getting bigger with time, they may become liabilities instead of assets of the society. It is one of the major reasons why there have been more tree failure cases in recent years.

Fig.2 Adequate root growing space was not left for this registered Old and Valuable Tree (LCSD E/15) during road development work before.

To achieve a good standard of tree management in Hong Kong, both better planning and maintenance on future planting and proactive management on existing trees are equally important. The golden rule in modern arboriculture is the right tree in the right place
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(Shigo, 2003). If a wrong tree is planted in a wrong place, no matter what kind of methods and how many resources are being devoted to conserving such trees, the results of greening would still be poor. A well thought through decision in planting is the first step to achieving long-term satisfactory greening effect in Hong Kong. A recent example can highlight this point. Hong Kong Orchid Trees, (Bauhinia blakeana) are planted extensively from 1999 to 2003. Over 70,000 individuals were planted in different locations in Hong Kong. However, the wood strength of Hong Kong Orchid Tree is weak, many of the planted individuals were damaged after several typhoon seasons and many of them needed to be removed or replaced. This is one of the examples that the selection of wrong species that resulted in increasing maintenance cost and at the same time did not achieve the intended long-term and sustainable greening objectives (Figure 3).

Fig. 3 A Hong Kong Orchid Tree Garden was set up in Tung Chung in 2000. However, after 9 years, the greening objective could not be achieved and the Government needs to keep on replacing the dead trees.

Strategic planting can help maximize community benefits while minimize public expenditures. The intention of the Greening Master Plan (GMP) is a good initiative,. Unfortunately, the effort has mainly been put on planting more new trees. We recommend that more effort (especially inter-departmental) should be allocated on improving the conditions of existing trees. Recommendations: Tree selection should only be carried out by professionals who clearly understand the characteristics and growth requirements of different tree species. Tree selection should not only focus on aesthetic value, functional value and available stock in the market, but should also consider characteristics of trees including mature size, root growing pattern, wind resistance, etc
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Reserve enough space for tree planting: tree selection has to consider the suitability of the planting, that is, whether the site can accommodate the selected tree growing to its mature size (i.e. diameter at ground level (DGL), height and crown spread in mature stage).

If there is not enough space for planting trees, no tree should be planted. Shrubs could be planted instead. Tree species database: tree species database with detailed tree selection criteria should be set up as a reference for all tree planting projects (Please see Appendix 1 for a suggested sample).

2. Tree planting After selecting the right tree species, there is a need to have a good quality tree stock to ensure the long-term success of the greening effort. Tree stocks with health problem or structural defects shall not be used. Although guidelines and/or particular specifications are available for this purpose, on-site monitoring is often overlooked and the required specifications are often not met (Figure 4).

Fig. 4 Planting a poor quality tree (such as this one with a twisted trunk) will certainly lead to hazards and extra maintenance cost in future.

In some cases, tree planting in Hong Kong may involve different Government departments. For example, planting trees on pedestrian sidewalks may involve Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and Highways Department (HyD). LCSD is responsible for planting the tree while HyD is responsible for the completion of the pavement surface. This practice often results in trees being planted too deep underground after the construction of the pavement. Trees planted too deep will not grow well. Proper planting depth for trees is necessary for the development of good root system and long-term health. We suggest that the top of the root ball should be the same level or slightly higher than the ground level to ensure roots obtaining enough oxygen (ANSI A300 Part 6, 2005)
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(see Figure 5). These kinds of unco-ordinated administrative arrangements should be reviewed and inter-departmental communication should be enhanced to prevent reoccurring of similar problems in the future.

Fig. 5 This tree was planted by LCSD correctly in the first stage. However, additional soil was added after the installation of the pavement which led to the tree being buried too deeply.

Recommendations: - Establish guidelines for tree suppliers for all government projects. Plant stocks that do not meet the standard, such as poor tree form, structural defect, bark damages, poor live crown ratio, should not be accepted by any government planting projects. American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI A60.1, 2004) is a useful reference. Only trees that meet the said standard should be planted. Prevent changes in soil conditions (including soil level) after trees are planted: tree planting works should be carried out after all construction and site works (including paving) are completed. For example, pavement surrounding the base of the tree should be placed before tree planting in order to prevent tree damage or ground level change during pavement work. Pavement covered planting site: we suggest a minimum 1 m x 1 m open soil surface should be provided to encourage better root development. Pavement should be removed for better root growth from time to time. For concrete-covered planting site, it is suggested that a minimum 1.5 m x 1.5 m open soil surface should be given to encourage better root development. In general, no large tree should be planted on concrete-covered ground. 3. Tree maintenance and Proper personnel training The success in urban greening should not be determined by the number of trees that are planted, instead, it should be evaluated by the number of trees that could grow healthily
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and reach maturity. There is no doubt that mature urban trees can contribute a significant input to our community in the sense of environmental, aesthetic, economic, psychological and social aspects. Therefore, a proper and appropriate care to both young and mature trees (Matheny and Clark, 2008) is one of the most significant factors in achieving the long-term greening objective. One of the most common tree maintenance practices is pruning. Poor pruning causes decay that may lead to severe damage to healthy trees. However, according to the results of CAs tree survey (The Conservancy Association, 2006), 90% of the trees surveyed have been subject to poor pruning works (Figure 6). The result also indicates that tree workers in Hong Kong may not have enough knowledge and they are not supervised appropriately or properly by trained arborists on tree works. At present, there is no statutory requirement for qualified staffing carrying out such tree works.

Fig. 6a Topping in Leung King Estate in 2006. Topping is a cheap way to prune a tree (around HK$500) but it will lead to serious damage to the tree.

Fig. 6b Poor pruning knowledge and skill result in serious damages to trees.

Even though The Governments Tree Preservation Technical Circular (ETWB Technical Circular (Works) No. 3/2006) specifies that tendering documents must require the contractor to assign a trained Tree Work Supervisor for Government projects involving tree works; and a Supervision of Tree Work course has been organized by Construction Industry Council Training Academy (CICTA) for practitioners and related people to attend, the quality of tree preservation and management works are still not substantially improved. The CICTA course itself does not require students to take any examination. One of the staff from CA is the key lecturer of the course and he observed that the passing requirements are low and most students could still obtain the certificate even if they slept
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through the course. Obviously, merely attending a course without any kinds of examination and/or assignment projects would not equip workers with the necessary knowledge or know-how on practical tree works. Recommendations: - Raising the basic requirement for front line staff to carry out tree works: to lift up the tree management knowledge and skills of front line staff (both workers and site supervisors), the existing CICTA Supervision of Tree Work course has to be improved. Examination should be required as a compulsory component for obtaining the Certification. Recertification arrangement (collecting continuous education points) after every 3 to 5 years practice has to be imposed in the future to ensure that people in the arboricultural sector would continue to learn and update their knowledge and know-how on tree management. Bringing up management professional for tree industry: higher level of training in tree management is strongly recommended. Postgraduate certification, diploma courses, etc., should be set up for providing a proper professional training on tree management for the industry in long term. Recognized qualification for tree management industry: a comprehensive qualification framework is suggested to be established in different types and levels of tree works (from hands-on, assessment to management, etc). In Britain, careers in arboriculture are divided into eight levels according to the National Qualification Framework (Britt Chris, 2008). According to academic background, the qualification can be classified from level 1 (certification holder) to level 8 (doctoral degree holder). In Hong Kong the existing Qualification Framework is a similar system that can be used for tree management industry. For example, workers carrying out tree pruning works should meet basic requirement, level 1, and tree assessment should be carried out by people with at least level 2 qualification. This can help ensure the quality of the tree management works in Hong Kong, as well as providing a path for continuous study. 4. Tree assessment and risk management 4.1 Risk Management Strategy The fatal accident caused by the collapse of the Coral Tree in Stanley last year has bluntly disclosed the problems of the present tree risk management regime. The case showed that trees with potential hazard were not managed effectively and systematically by people with sufficient knowledge. Successful and effective risk management (Matheny and Clark, 2008) involves: i. ii. Identifying, assessing and prioritizing risks Selecting and implementing risk control measures
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iii.

Establishing secure resources for risk management

The above have clearly indicated that a comprehensive plan with sufficient resource is necessary to reduce the risk of urban trees. The first and second steps are tree risk assessment and control (Points i. and ii.). However, the government has no clear and commonly adopted guidelines for tree assessment and management. International procedures for tree risk assessment and management (Figure 7) can be considered for standardizing the procedure. In addition, all assessment records, including written reports and photo records have to be kept for references, reviews, as well as enquiries. Tree removal should be considered if tree poses imminent danger and no feasible measure can be carried out to reduce the risk. Referring to Point iii., allocating adequate resources on risk management is also necessary. For example, the 110-people tree management team of LCSD takes care of about 800,000 trees in Hong Kong. On average, each staff member has to look after over 7,000 trees. Without prioritizing works and providing additional resources (i.e. manpower, training and equipments, etc.), it is impossible to carry out adequate assessment and preventive management.
1. Visual Tree Assessment and
2a. If tree is in imminent danger of failing, take

Site Inspection

immediate action to protect target (i.e. people and 2. Identify significant tree defects and site conditions that could lead to failure 2b. Perform additional

properties)

inspection (i.e. aerial, root collar, decay inspection) 3. Determine treatments, if any, that would reduce risk.

4. Discuss treatment options and associated risk with tree manager and determine treatment

5. Implement and monitor treatments to reduce risk

Fig. 7 Flow chart of tree risk assessment procedures (Matheny and Clark, 2008).

4.2 Proper Training for people carrying out tree assessment Referring back to the fatal accident in Stanley, it appears that tree assessment procedures 1 and 2 (including 2a and 2b) as shown on Figure 7 were executed but the assessment results may be inadequate or incomprehensive to reveal the real situation for taking proper action. Professional training and close monitoring should be provided to ensure that the quality of front-line staffs assessment work is up to standard. Recommendations: - Reviewing previous tree failure records to prioritize trees with different management need: For example, according to major tree failure cases from March to June 2009, Candlenut Tree (Aleurites moluccana), Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis), Flame Tree (Delonix regia) and Horsetail Tree (Casuarina equisetifolia) over 10 m in height are the major failed tree species (Appendix 2). Assessment and management priority can be given to these trees first. Understanding the knowledge of existing tree assessors and providing the most suitable training: before providing training to front-line tree assessors, tree assessment knowledge test is suggested to be put in place. This can help the Government to have a better understanding on the workers level of knowledge and facilitate planning for suitable training for them. Detailed tree assessment: Hazard Rating System (Matheny and Clark, 1994 and BS8516, 2008) should be used to help to prioritize limited works for trees with significant problems or hit targets. Matheny and Clark (1994) provided a good sample of a detailed tree assessment items and form for tree hazard evaluation and management (Appendix 3). Tree characteristics, site condition, health, defect target and hazard rating were included. Mattheck and Clark (2006) also gives additional reference figures for the threshold on tree failure due to internal decay: Internal problem a b c

Threshold valuea t/Rb < 0.3 Opening wound 3> 122o and t/R <0.3

Internal decay (closing wound) Internal decay (opening wound): cavity

For tree with full crown

t = remaining wall of tree trunk; R = diameter of tree trunk Angle of an opened wound on trunk

In case of internal decay occurred, wood strength of the remaining wall of tree trunk should be tested (i.e. by using fractometer).
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5. Tree Protection 5.1 Tree protection regulations There are various Ordinances and Regulations related to tree protection in Hong Kong, e.g. Country Parks Ordinance; Forestry Regulation; and Crimes Ordinance. There is also a stringent Tree Preservation Clause governing development land under the government leases after the 1970s for protecting trees in Hong Kong. However, no effective statutory protection is given to trees on private lands because the ordinances and regulations only cover trees on Government lands. The Tree Preservation Clause is not present on the land leases of private lands before 1970s. In other words, the site owner can cut any trees with no liability or simply to cut the tree first before applying for the renewal of land lease (Figures 8a and b). We suggest a new tree protection ordinance like the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in UK and Australia, to conserve valuable and significant trees on private lands in Hong Kong. It should protect the registered trees from unauthorized tree works with commensurate penalties. The Government should provide technical advices to managers of trees registered under the new ordinance. It is also important to educate the general public that tree ordinances, such as TPO does not stop the cutting of any trees on private lands. However, prior application and approval are needed before cutting down trees on private land. This should prevent unnecessary cutting or removal of trees.

Fig. 8a For private land, landowner can cut trees down before applying new development

Fig. 8b There are many large, graceful and valuable trees in rural villages. Under the pressure of development, these nice trees maybe lost without providing proper protection. (This group of trees is at Tai Kiu Tsuen, Yuen Long)

Most of the tree problems are caused by poor or wrong management and treatment
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approaches. To ensure proper tree management in the long run, tree management works in different stages (from planning and selection to tree protection) should involve qualified people. As such, a tree ordinance is required for ensuring that only qualified personnel could carry out tree management works. The following principles are recommended for the proposed tree ordinance of Hong Kong: i. Trees, especially mature trees and woodland in urban areas or urban fringes, are important asset and should be protected. Woodland with important ecological or environmental value should be designated as Tree Conservation Area. Tree Conservation Areas should not be stamped from encroachment. ii. Trees with unique cultural and historical values should also be protected. Felling of a tree with Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) larger than 1 m should be approved by the responsible Authority. Written approval must be obtained before trees could be felled. Unauthorized tree felling should be penalized. iii. The process of tree felling application should be transparent. Tree felling larger than a certain scale should be disclosed to the public. The public should be duly consulted. Planting trees in private lots should be encouraged. If the site is open to the public, the developer or owner should be compensated. Management and maintenance works of trees should be performed by qualified arborists. A professional body should be authorized and responsible for maintaining the standards and handling complaints.

iv. v.

As trees are public asset, there should be adequate and genuine community participation in tree protection and devising a greening policy. Recommendations: Tree Preservation Order: we suggest a new tree protection ordinance similar to the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in UK and Australia, to conserve valuable and significant trees on private lands in Hong Kong. It should protect the registered trees from unauthorized tree works with commensurate penalties. The Government should provide technical advices to managers of trees registered under the TPO. It is also important to educate the general public that tree ordinances, such as TPO does not stop the cutting of any trees on private lands. However, prior application and approval are needed before cutting down trees on private land. This should prevent unnecessary cutting or removal of trees.
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5.2 Trees and development - Tree survey and transplantation Tree survey should be carried out during the planning and early design stages. The survey is an in- depth inspection of the existing trees covering the details of each individual tree to be affected by the works. The main purpose of it is to facilitate the tree felling application process at the later detail design or construction stage. However, current tree surveys only record basic information and has been criticized for NOT accurately reflecting the structural integrity, value and suitability for transplantation of trees. For example, age is one of the key pieces of information deciding whether a tree should be preserved and is currently not included in tree surveys (Figure 9). The consideration of usual lifespan and life expectancy of different tree species will contribute to better decision-making and resource allocation for preservation and transplantation of trees. For Trees with relative short lifespan such as Taiwan Acacia (Acacia confusa) and Elephants Ear (Macaranga tanarius), transplanting mature individuals may result in dying within a short period of time. We suggest that only trees in good health and structure, and have long lifespan should be considered for transplantation (Figure 10). In addition, it is observed that there is no special monitoring or caring works for the transplanted trees after the construction project is completed. Tree labels are often left on the transplanted trees which may eventually cause damages to the tree by being embedded or girdling in the tree (Figure 11). When a tree is planned to be transplanted, the transplantation work should be carried out with the highest standard. Topping and small root ball are the most common malpractices in transplantation of trees in Hong Kong because of convenience and low cost. These result in poor survival rate and disfiguring of those valuable trees after transplantation. This has to be stopped. A review of the existing requirements in the transportation of trees on our road systems is needed to facilitate transplantation of large trees.

Fig. 9 Tree survey standard form (source: ETWB TC (Works) No. 3/2006)

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Fig. 10a. Tree with significant structural defects (V-crotch) and embedded metal bar was also transplanted.

Fig. 10b. This strange tree is from a large Banyan Tree being cut into pieces for transportation.

Fig. 11 A single tree has 4 tree survey labels from different works in the past. This showed that trees received no caring after construction works. Those wires and nails on the tree may weaken the trees structure and cause failure.

Recommendations: A comprehensive set of criteria, including lifespan, maturity, and structure soundness should be considered when deciding trees for transplantation. Special traffic arrangement/exception for transplantation: in many cases, owing to traffic regulation, transplantation trees have to be excessively trimmed before transporting to another site. We suggest giving special arrangement during transplantation and so, no excessive pruning is needed.
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Making transplantation successive rate available to public: survival rate of each transplantation project should be made available for general publics enquires and monitoring.

5.3 Trees and development Excavation Frequent utility and road works are constant threats to roadside trees in Hong Kong. Excavation always damages the fine and supporting roots of trees, which affects the health and even stability of the tree. Trees may fall under strong winds if the anchorage roots were cut. To prevent the damages of roots of roadside trees during construction works, better communication and closer monitoring by Government department(s) responsible for tree caring are absolutely important during construction works. On-site monitoring has to be carried out by tree specialists to prevent severe damages of tree roots. Recommendations: Pre-excavation protection and post-excavation caring have to be carried out by tree maintenance department(s). This can minimize during work damage and carry out proactive caring work after excavation once needed. Providing a reasonable distance between excavation work and trees is also important. Ideally, a 2.5 meter distance from the tree trunk is required for any excavation work (Mattheck and Breloer, 2006). For new development site, underground utilities and trees should be separated with this distance as well to minimize future damage during utility maintenance. 6. Enhancing tree related research to achieve scientific management Hong Kongs tree management work mainly confined at operational and administrative levels. Good and effective tree management has to be based on scientific researches. However, such researches are lacking in Hong Kong. To achieve scientific tree management, a good and comprehensive Tree Inventory is a starting point. Apart from basic tree information such as tree species, location and condition, records on tree management works (e.g. pruning, pest control and fertilization) and even nearby construction works affecting the trees should also be recorded. Geographical Information System (GIS) should be used for this purpose. LCSD has a GIS database for the basic inventory of urban trees managed by the department. It should be a good start to develop a more comprehensive system for all urban trees in Hong Kong. A tree failure study database should also be developed. Referring to the Stanley case, the tree was cut and removed immediately after the accident which rendered the investigation of the cause of the accident more difficult. This
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showed that a more systematic procedure should be set up for post tree failure inspection. When there are tree failure cases (regardless of whether there are damages or injuries), instead of removing the whole tree (including the root system) quickly (Figure 12), detailed investigation should be carried out to establish the major cause of failure. More data could be collected through these studies for predicting and managing trees so that failure under similar conditions could be avoided. The data can help to identify the most susceptible species, age, or other environmental conditions for tree failure. Such information is very useful in work prioritization, especially when tree assessment resources are limited.

Fig. 12a A fallen tree at Ho Man Tin. LCSD tired to remove the whole tree within a day after the failure. This would hinder the study of the

Fig. 12b The location of a fallen tree at San Po Kong was covered by soil and planted with ornamental plants within 2 days.

causes of the failure.

Recommendations: - Set up Urban Tree Inventory: to systematic manage all tree information by using GIS, general tree information, condition and caring history should be included. Tree GIS data should also be available to other government departments or utility management companies. With different GIS data (i.e. tree location, water pipe location, communication line location, etc.) putting together, all tree information is available during the planning stage of construction or maintenance works, thus tree protection plan can be drafted in the early stage. More research on the benefit of trees to the environment, economy and society should be encouraged. In US, research on strategic urban tree planting proved that it can reduce energy use, pavement damage by weathering, rate of crime, etc (Matheny and Clark, 2008). These kinds of research not only provide more direction on tree planting strategy, but also form solid information for communicating with the general public on the benefit of trees to support greening works of the Government. Tree Failure Database: as suggested in section 4.2

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7. Community Education It is important to have the publics support for tree management and protection works. Information on Governments Greening webpage (http://www.devb-wb.gov.hk/greening/tc/index.htm) can be further enhanced to provide more proper information on tree management, caring and conservation. For Registered Old and Valuable Trees (OVT), we suggest providing more background stories, current conditions and management plans on the OVT webpage (http://ovt.lcsd.gov.hk/ovt/index.jsp). This can help the general public to learn more about the importance of the OVTs, thus providing more support to the Governments tree conservation works. Recommendations: Setting up special channel/ hotline for tree related enquiry: we suggest that the government to set up special hotline for helping the general public to solve tree related problems. General information and support for tree caring should also be provided for trees even on private lands. List of recommended tree caring companies will be important for the general public to follow up on private owned trees. Government can set up evaluation, monitoring and complaint systems for regular enhancement and review of the contractors performance. Public involvement in OVT management: we suggest setting up a public communication channel for nomination, problem reporting and other enquiries/complaints regarding OVTs. With public participation, the OVT system will not merely become more transparent, but also can gain more support from the general public. 8. Coordination on Tree Management Works in Hong Kong There are 4 Bureaus and over 10 government departments taking care of trees in Hong Kong. With such a spreading around tree management strategy, in many cases, different departments have different standards and procedures, thus caused many adverse feedbacks from the general public and in some cases, private developers and land owners. Also, unclear management boundary always results in deferred or slow response to public enquiry. As discussed in Sections 2 and 5 in this paper, poor inter-departmental communication leads to poor planting or damage to trees that results in poor tree condition or even failure. Better communication and coordination are necessary to prevent these kinds of
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case in the future. Furthermore, there is no monitoring on the tree works of different government departments. Monitoring has to be enhanced to ensure and improve the work quality of tree managing departments. Recommendations: - Tree Management Office: we suggest setting up a separate and independent Tree Management Office to enhance the communication, coordination and monitoring of tree works in the Government. Enhancing monitoring to Governments tree works: the Tree Management Office has to be empowered to issue guidelines, monitoring and give recommendations to all work and maintenance departments. Listen to tree experts: the Tree Management Office should also invite local and oversea tree experts to provide suggestions and comments. Listen to the community: community representatives, i.e. District Office should also be invited to understand needs and problems related to trees from community level.

9. Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. ANSI A300 Part 6, 2005, Tree, Shrub, and Other Woody Plant Maintenance Standard Practices (Transplantation), Tree Care Industry Association. ANSI A60.1, 2004, American Standard for Nursery Stock, American Nursery and Landscape Association, 113pp. Mattheck and Breloer, 2006, Body Language of Trees, Stationery Office Books,
260pp.

BS8516, 2008, Recommendations for tree safety inspection Draft, BSI, 20pp. Shigo, 2003, Modern Arboriculture, A.L., 440pp.

6. Matheny and Clark, 2008, Municipal Specialist Certification Study Guide, International Society of Arboriculture, 279pp. 7. Dec 2007, press release (http://www.conservancy.org.hk/conser/tree/index.htm) 8. Britt Chris, 2008, Trees in Town II : A New Survey of Urban Trees in England and The Conservancy Association, 16th

Their Condition and Management, Department for Communities and Local Government, 646pp. 9. Matheny and Clark, 1994, A Photographic Guide to the Evaluation of Hazard Trees in Urban Areas, 2nd Edition, International Society of Arboriculture, 85pp.

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