Tree failure prediction

A network of more than 8000 trees in both urban and rural districts of Hong Kong were equipped with sensors to measure tilt during extreme weather events. When correlated with local wind data, this allowed for the development of predictive models of tree failure that proved robust in up to a 1-hour forecasting window.

This points towards a future where urban forestry managers will likely be able to provide early warning for high-risk trees, and as modeling improves, undertake more preventive maintenance in increasingly long time frames.