Will the Swedish Tree Hotels kill the trees?

Eric Frei · 23rd November 2011, 08:37 PM

Tree Hotels you say? That's right, but beyond the hype arborists look to see how they were attached to the tree.

Treehotel - Welcome to Treehotel

Will the Swedish Tree Hotels kill the trees?

Appear to me in time they will.

Whilst they may proclaim their engineering prowess it seems to me their biological knowledge of tree processes may be limited.

Maybe they were listening to the tree huggers and are into strangulation as a preferred option to drilling the trees.

Appears to me the trees are banded, with handcuff like tightened and bolted assys.

Here's a pic of one from their website:-

Now it was the best pic I could find of all their contraptions and surfing the net. So I got it and enlarged it 2.5X to see what I suspected, a clamping banding device.

I have spoken many times about this type of stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Frei

The tree grows outwards in diameter around the stuff placed there, there's lots more growing around stuff than you'd have with one decent bolt in the middle. There's also no chance of girdling as the tree expands. How the tree grows is by cell division, when cells divide I assure you that they take the path of least resistance. So the new cells grows around stuff.

I also wrote verbatim in a report about a similar situation where straps and slings were tightened around trees to support structures:-

Quote:

It is important that we understand tree biology. In the
center of a tree is heartwood, it is dead but does retain
moisture and can move a little moisture through dead cells.
On the outer edge of the tree is the living vascular
cambium, basically water/nutrients from the roots go up to
the leaves, leaves use sunlight via photosynthesis to make
sugars which go back down to feed the entire tree
including roots. The tree grows by cell division making a
new layer over an old shell as it grows outwards.
When the vascular cambium is restricted, like the old
practice of ring barking, the tree may die. The old practice
of ring barking meant cutting away at the outer edge of the
tree for the entire circumference interrupting the vascular
flow resulting in a dead tree some time in the future, unless
of course the tree were to some how bridge the gap made.
Tight slings, bands etc act the same way as ring barking
except under load they can restrict flow like a tourniquet, compounding the problem. When it's time for
cells to divide they are unable to do so or dividing cells take the path of least resistance and you'll notice
swelling above and below the slings. When the new cambium is formed the old becomes heartwood and
stops providing vascular flow. This means where there's heavy restriction that the trees may die. Even
moving the slings above and below a previous spot doesn't guarantee that the spot you moved them from
can in future conduct flow, it could be damaged and cells not able to divide.
Drilling holes in trees to bolt in hardware is the preferred alternative. Stainless steel is often used so
there's no rust to the bolts/threaded rods. Points of contact to be minimized with large packing washers so
minimal interruption to vascular flow occurs. There's often talk about decay however in my experience it
is minimal to non existent especially when drills and hardware are kept clean, sterilized and coated with
antagonistic fungi added at time of wounding. Trees will grow over some of the bolts and hardware
adding to it's strength, which is another reason for thick packing washers to keep some of the hardware
away from the tree longer before it is encapsulated in the tree.
Trichoderma is an antagonistic fungi, it has been shown that it consumes other parasitic and saprophytic
fungi. Bolts, washers, nuts, screws etc could be washed in a solution of trichoderma prior to being
inserted, this would lower dramatically the probability of decay. Drilled holes should be filled with
hardware as soon as possible to lower the probability of fungal spores colonizing the wound. For example
do not drill 10 holes then bolt up 2 brackets, instead do them in succession to minimize wound exposure.
Wound dressings, paint and even anti fungal treatments are not very effective on living trees. One of the
key components in the life of fungi is moisture, and as a tree is a living thing with high moisture content
internally it is almost impossible to treat it the same as other timber/furniture. Healthy trees manufacture
their own anti fungal agents and deal with wounding by compartmentalising the wound. They wall off the
damaged area so it doesn't spread. In my career I have never seen a tree die because some-one drilled
it or bolted something to it.
The transition from a living tree to a dead tree can be abrupt. When a growing season means cell division
and new growth places high demand on the vascular system the tree can turn from green to brown in a
few days, at that point it is almost impossible to save the tree. The new vascular system incapable or
severed unable to provide the flow required, sometimes the tree only dies from the wounded point
upward.

Have a closer look, here's their mirror cube:-

Now I suspect that they have been moving or taking some of the bands off as I found this picture on the net, but cannot confirm it is exactly the same structure.

source: Willow & Frank

When you read the various websites and news articles it's all about the structures and stuff all about the trees, to me that is typical.

Your thoughts?

Brent Ferris · 25th November 2011, 03:05 PM

Website makes concept look really new, so no way to know if motels are moved yearly. None of the pics show any damage at present, so length of installation is likely very short, If they are installed by crane? perhaps they are regularly moved? Long term - likely within 5 years on the same trees - would kill the tops. Spruce? are not that good at growing over obstacles.

Paul Toivonen · 25th November 2011, 05:04 PM

Wouldnt they be in a plantation forest anyway?

Steve Galehouse · 2nd December 2011, 01:51 PM

The attachments would of course eventually kill the trees from the point of attachment up, if not entirely. The whole concept is silly---why would anyone want to be 20' up in a Scots pine plantation? The trees are "industrial", not a mature forest with any sort of attractiveness. Better a tree-house in the backyard.

25th November 2011, 03:05 PM	#2
Brent Ferris Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,557	Re: Will the Swedish Tree Hotels kill the trees? Website makes concept look really new, so no way to know if motels are moved yearly. None of the pics show any damage at present, so length of installation is likely very short, If they are installed by crane? perhaps they are regularly moved? Long term - likely within 5 years on the same trees - would kill the tops. Spruce? are not that good at growing over obstacles. __________________ My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports Consulting Forester If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too ! We do great jobs, even in small yards. Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered) Email -- treeshaveneeds@3web.com Cell 416-460-5704

25th November 2011, 05:04 PM	#3
Paul Toivonen Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: AUS Posts: 134	Re: Will the Swedish Tree Hotels kill the trees? Wouldnt they be in a plantation forest anyway?

2nd December 2011, 01:51 PM	#4
Steve Galehouse Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bay Village, Ohio Posts: 72	Re: Will the Swedish Tree Hotels kill the trees? The attachments would of course eventually kill the trees from the point of attachment up, if not entirely. The whole concept is silly---why would anyone want to be 20' up in a Scots pine plantation? The trees are "industrial", not a mature forest with any sort of attractiveness. Better a tree-house in the backyard.

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