Roadside trees are civic property and receive considerable attention and care. Gardeners trim and prune them, making them more attractive and better able to withstand strong winds. Most can fend for themselves, but some, such as acacias and Texas oaks, owing to the relative weight and density of their leaves and the weakness of their trunks, require a helping hand from man. The trees begin life in a nursery, and when they grown to the height of a human adult, are brought into the world, where they must endure children, people who lean on trees, and air pollution. Before transplanting, their roots are cut and the base is placed in a concrete base for reinforcement.
Being top-heavy as they begin their roadside lives, trees must pass through a five-year period to again grow strong, deep roots that will enable them to withstand strong winds. Nelson was the first typhoon to hit Taipei since Thelma in 1977, and brought winds of such force that they leveled over 200 trees in the Taipei Botanical Gardens.
The trees of Taipei lead no easy life. On the average, they occupy an area of one square meter, which extends eighty centimeters into the earth. In this area, they must defer to gas pipes, water pipes, telephone wires and electric cables. Above ground, tile, clay, and impure water make their existence something less than edenic. Moreover, the soil of Taipei is unusually alkaline.
Some urge that the trees to replace the fallen ones be unusually strong, to resist typhoons, but strength is only one, albeit important factor, taken into consideration. Trees must be suitable for the soil of a given area, be attractive, resistant to pollution and disease, and not have an overabundance of foliage which will require constant care.
As one might expect, there is no perfect tree which embodies all of these virtues, and authorities are thus forced to make compromises. In the aftermath of Nelson, however, plans are being made to improve the soil in Taipei's tree plots and to step up trimming activities.
[Picture Caption]
Damage from Typhoon Nelson this August.
Damage from Typhoon Nelson this August.
Typhoons often take the tiles off roofs and knock over storefront signs.
Typhoons often take the tiles off roofs and knock over storefront signs.
