Before & After | Construction Damage without Intervention
Before & After | Construction Impact on Mature Trees
Photographic record of a singular construction site without proper tree protection measures.
RESIDENCE WITH TREE REMOVED | 2026
Construction began in 2023 and tree decline was severe enough that it needed to be removed in three years. Photo, 2026
CLOSE UP OF TREE WITH VISUAL DAMAGE | 2025
Same photo, just closer and cropped on the tree. You can see climate related damage, however construction damage is a direct stressor which inhibits its ability to heal well from other stressors. Photo, 2025
TIP DIEBACK | 2025
You can see symptoms of tree stress from construction damage. There is short annual shoot elongation, thin foliage, leaf wilting, defoliation, epicormic shoots, twig dieback, branch dieback, irregular wounds, and decay at wound sites. Photo, 2025
CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE | 2024
Property is finally completed with construction. The effects of construction damage may not be immediately apparent on the tree. Photo, 2024
SOIL GRADING | 2024
Construction is almost complete, no materials under tree, soil has been graded. Grade changes, raising or lowering the soil level smothers roots or removes essential root systems. Photo, 2024
SOIL COMPACTION | 2024
Bricks are stacked at the base of the tree. Heavy building materials compresses soil, restricting oxygen and water availability to roots. Photo, 2024
ROOT DAMAGE FROM COMPACTION | 2023
Materials have been under the canopy for a steady amount of time compacting soil. Consider the ground under a construction site as a bustling metropolis of microorganisms and larger soil fauna. Each organism plays a role in maintaining the soil structure, allowing trees to thrive. However, when construction begins, the compression of the soil compacts these spaces, eliminating the necessary gaps that store water and air. Trees end up in a static environment where nutrient cycling is stagnant. It’s similar to trying to breathe through a pressed sponge—life-sustaining elements get interrupted, initiating a perilous journey toward tree decline. Photo, 2023
TREE STRESS DURING CONSTRUCTION | 2023
Heavy building materials are loaded directly under the tree. This is the beginning of the construction project, this load will be compacting the soil for a long period of time. Not only does this physical damage disrupt their growth, but it also deprives them of essential air pockets in the soil. Such changes severely impair a tree’s ability to maintain its metabolic processes, often resulting in a slow yet irreversible decline. Photo, 2023
DAMAGE FROM CONSTRUCTION | 2023
Original home removed. Image is taken looking from the back of the property looking out onto the street. It may look like nothing has occurred to harm the health of the trees but most likely heaving machinery was used and left onsite during the duration of demolition. Photo, 2023.
ORIGINAL HOME WITH MATURE TREES | 2021
This home was originally built in 1962. Photo, 2021.