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Flooding may not kill treesKansas Most trees can recover from flooding if the water recedes in seven days or less, according to a Kansas State University forester. "It helps, however, if the water has been flowing, not stagnant," said Charles Barden, tree specialist with K-State Research and Extension. The main reason trees die from flooding is lack of oxygen, he said. Some species have mechanisms for getting oxygen to their roots when soil is saturated with water. But, other trees don't have that kind of backup system. If floods leave a sediment layer behind, that can restrict tree roots' access to oxygen, too, Barden said. So, as soon as conditions permit, tree owners should remove silt deposits that are three inches or deeper--particularly from around the small and recently transplanted trees that are most at risk. "You also need to be diligent about removing any dead or dying branches that could serve as a point of entry for disease organisms or insects," he said. "And, you should avoid imposing any additional stressors during the growing season. "Ironically, one of the most important practices will be to water flood-stressed trees if the weather turns dry later in the growing season. Flooding damages roots, so they're less efficient at using available soil water while they recover." The progressive symptoms of flood-related tree damage are: leaf drop, leaf curl, iron chlorosis (yellowing leaves with green veins), branch dieback, and sometimes tree death. ====Sidebar==== Flooding affects some trees less than others One way the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service categorizes trees is by the length of time they can withstand being in flooded conditions. The Forest Service says trees that can survive being flooding for an entire growing season include the white and green ash, baldcypress, eastern cottonwood, hackberry, red and silver maple, pin oak, pecan, persimmon, sweetgum and sycamore. Those that won't survive more than a few days of floods include the flowering dogwood, red mulberry, black oak, blackjack oak, red oak, white oak; most pines; redbud; and black walnut. The trees that are only moderately tolerant of flooding include some that many people associate with water. Species that can survive 30 consecutive days under flooded conditions include the river birch, American elm, downy hawthorn, honeylocust, and four kinds of oak--the swamp white, southern red, bur and willow oaks. Date: 6/19/07
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