The city of Burghausen has a digital tree register. In this tree register, she records all the individual trees in the city area – a total of around 5.300 trees. The tree register also contains the trees in playgrounds and parks. Individual trees in forest sections or on the slopes of the Wöhrsee are not recorded separately.
The Burghauser tree register includes 52 different tree species. In addition to maple, linden and oak, there are also rare species such as the tulip tree or trees with symbolic power such as the gingko.
The tree register gives the city an overview of all trees with location, species, year of planting and their history. Since trees, like all living things, age, become diseased and die, they can become a hazard in the course of this process: their stability decreases and large branches are threatened with breaking off. To avoid accidents, the city has the trees checked once a year.
The gardeners of the city take over the control of the trees. The environmental agency assigns the maintenance or felling measures. For example, if an apparently healthy tree is affected by a rapidly destructive fungus, it can become a hazard within a few weeks. Trees that may no longer look "beautiful" but are healthy can still be preserved as biotope trees for many animal species.
In the tree register, the employees of the municipal garden center record whether the tree has been healthy for the past few years or whether they have already had to take care of it. Employees document changes to the tree with photos and compare them over the years. Trees that are particularly vulnerable can be reminded in the tree register - for example, if it is to be checked more than once a year.
If damage is caused by urban trees, the insurance company uses the tree register to assess whether the city has fulfilled its obligation to secure it or whether the damage could have been prevented.
“It is not so easy to find the right location for a tree. Many factors come into play: How much space does the tree have? How much space do the roots need? Is the tree species hardy enough for urban conditions? Can it withstand cold winters as well as hot summers and drought? Roadside trees in particular are exposed to extremes: dry summers and the salt in winter that the trees have to endure.”
Sarah Freudlsperger, Burghausen Environmental Agency
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