Apoyo al proyecto: Características biomecánicas en árboles con alto nivel de amenaza de volcamiento presentes en el espacio urbano de Bogotá

Abstract

The study of the biomechanics of trees helps to understand the dynamics and behavior of individuals in terms of their structure and system, and also allows the design of models to predict the risk of overturning that they present when considering their geometry and the external loads associated with the wind that they must withstand. In the city of Bogota D.C., there have been recorded risk events due to overturning failure of urban trees, mainly Acacia melanoxylon R. Brown, Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Cupressus lusitanica Mill, because they are tall individuals, which has an impact on the integrity of the urban tree structure. This has repercussions on the integrity of the population by affecting their lives and property. Considering this approach, this paper analyzed the geometry of 24 trees that presented ideal conditions (monopodic) in the green areas of the city. For this purpose, variables associated with DBH, total height, height to crown center, stem height, crown area, root plate width, among others, were analyzed, which allowed defining through a proto-model, adapted from Kim et al (2020), the wind speed that each species can withstand before its tree-root-soil system fails. In this sense, it was determined that Acacia melanoxylon R. Brown and Cupressus lusitanica Mill species, when subjected to wind speeds of 4 m/s present a high risk of overturning if the ratio between the width of the root plate and its diameter is not greater than three; while for Eucalyptus globulus Labil, the ratio should be equal to one. This process is due to the distribution of the roots that each species develops to fulfill its function as a root anchor; thus, the root plate is a fundamental variable to be considered when evaluating the resistance of the system, followed by the diameter and crown area.