Bruce Castle Oak, Tottenham:
Condition, Landscape Assessment and Management Recommendations
Prepared at the request of Woodland Trust on 25 May 2019
By Luke Steer BSc.(Hons), Dip.Arb.(RFS), F.Arbor.A. MICFor.
To download the Conclusions of the Report (as seen below) click here
To download the Full Report click here
Condition, Landscape Assessment and Management Recommendations
Prepared at the request of Woodland Trust on 25 May 2019
By Luke Steer BSc.(Hons), Dip.Arb.(RFS), F.Arbor.A. MICFor.
To download the Conclusions of the Report (as seen below) click here
To download the Full Report click here
BRUCE CASTLE OAK, TOTTENHAM, LONDON: Condition, Landscape Assessment and Management Recommendations
Prepared at the request of Woodland Trust on 25 May 2019
CONCLUSIONS
My observations of Bruce Castle Oak, and my conclusions, are summarised below.
• I inspected Bruce Castle Oak on 17 December 2018.
• I consider that it is in the ‘Ancient’ age class and I measured it to be 16.5m high.
• The trunk diameter of Bruce Castle oak is 207.5cm at its narrowest point, which is at an angle between heights of 1.2m to 1.7m above ground level.
• The trunk diameter of Bruce Castle Oak, a sessile oak (Quercus petraea), is larger than others recorded in the Tree Register of Britain and Ireland (TROBI) database for this species in Greater London.
• I assessed Bruce Castle Oak to be in the ‘Moderate Vitality’ health class.
• There are relatively few epicormic shoots growing on Bruce Castle Oak.
• I consider that Bruce Castle Oak poses a low level of risk. If it were to fail during an extreme windstorm, I consider that few people will be near it, so the associated risk of harm is low.
• I recommend that plant or vehicles should not drive within 30m of Bruce Castle Oak.
• I recommend that there should be no excavations within 30m of Bruce Castle Oak.
• I consider that there is a risk that the soil within Bruce Castle Park is compacted and sub-optimal for healthy tree growth. The risk of soil compaction may be higher near to Bruce Castle Oak because it is the largest tree in the park and an obvious attraction. I recommend that the soil should be assessed for:
• texture;
• bulk density;
• pH;
• organic matter content; and
• mineral nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium).
• Results from the soil analysis will guide soil management. If the soil is compacted to near or above the root growth limiting densities shown in Figure 1, work may be required to de-compact it.
• Mineral content of foliage gives an indication about whether roots and associated mycorrhizal fungi are obtaining sufficient amounts of these for healthy tree growth. Forest Research are able to assess foliage for mineral nutrients.
• Trees that grow to cast shade onto Bruce Castle oak should be felled or pruned.
• I recommend that other old trees growing within Bruce Castle Park should be surveyed and added to the Ancient Tree Inventory (https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ accessed 21/05/19). This could be done by volunteers.
• Due to the national importance of Bruce Castle Oak, its size and location in a historically public park, I recommend that it should be inspected every one and a half years and after tree altering weather events, such as drought, extended periods of summer waterlogging, or windstorms, by a suitably qualified, experienced and insured arboriculturist.
Luke Steer BSc.(Hons), Dip.Arb.(RFS), F.Arbor.A. MICFor.
Prepared at the request of Woodland Trust on 25 May 2019
CONCLUSIONS
My observations of Bruce Castle Oak, and my conclusions, are summarised below.
• I inspected Bruce Castle Oak on 17 December 2018.
• I consider that it is in the ‘Ancient’ age class and I measured it to be 16.5m high.
• The trunk diameter of Bruce Castle oak is 207.5cm at its narrowest point, which is at an angle between heights of 1.2m to 1.7m above ground level.
• The trunk diameter of Bruce Castle Oak, a sessile oak (Quercus petraea), is larger than others recorded in the Tree Register of Britain and Ireland (TROBI) database for this species in Greater London.
• I assessed Bruce Castle Oak to be in the ‘Moderate Vitality’ health class.
• There are relatively few epicormic shoots growing on Bruce Castle Oak.
• I consider that Bruce Castle Oak poses a low level of risk. If it were to fail during an extreme windstorm, I consider that few people will be near it, so the associated risk of harm is low.
• I recommend that plant or vehicles should not drive within 30m of Bruce Castle Oak.
• I recommend that there should be no excavations within 30m of Bruce Castle Oak.
• I consider that there is a risk that the soil within Bruce Castle Park is compacted and sub-optimal for healthy tree growth. The risk of soil compaction may be higher near to Bruce Castle Oak because it is the largest tree in the park and an obvious attraction. I recommend that the soil should be assessed for:
• texture;
• bulk density;
• pH;
• organic matter content; and
• mineral nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium).
• Results from the soil analysis will guide soil management. If the soil is compacted to near or above the root growth limiting densities shown in Figure 1, work may be required to de-compact it.
• Mineral content of foliage gives an indication about whether roots and associated mycorrhizal fungi are obtaining sufficient amounts of these for healthy tree growth. Forest Research are able to assess foliage for mineral nutrients.
• Trees that grow to cast shade onto Bruce Castle oak should be felled or pruned.
• I recommend that other old trees growing within Bruce Castle Park should be surveyed and added to the Ancient Tree Inventory (https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ accessed 21/05/19). This could be done by volunteers.
• Due to the national importance of Bruce Castle Oak, its size and location in a historically public park, I recommend that it should be inspected every one and a half years and after tree altering weather events, such as drought, extended periods of summer waterlogging, or windstorms, by a suitably qualified, experienced and insured arboriculturist.
Luke Steer BSc.(Hons), Dip.Arb.(RFS), F.Arbor.A. MICFor.
