The University of Alicante Fells Nearly 40 Trees on Campus Due to Collapse Risk

The University of Alicante has started felling several trees on the San Vicente campus due to the risk of collapse. An external study, commissioned after the fall of several specimens, advises the institution to fell them to ensure safety on the premises.

The tree felling began this Wednesday in the first intervention area, in the pine grove near the sports pavilion next to the old barracks. The academic institution will remove a total of 37 specimens over the coming weeks.

Other areas of the campus where trees will be felled include various zones near the barracks, the vicinity of the control tower, and the surroundings of the Faculty of Law.

The external report commissioned by the University of Alicante indicates that the age of some trees, which date back to the old military base, is one of the main reasons for this tree felling on campus.

These trees have grown in height, and their roots have little depth due to the soil characteristics, whose hardness prevents them from growing deeply and having a strong anchorage to the ground for their size.

Additionally, their excessive inclination also adds to the anchorage difficulties of their roots to the soil. Therefore, the wind or their own weight may cause the total or partial detachment of the trees, endangering the safety of pedestrians on campus.

The study analysed a total of 446 trees on the campus with their exact location, using GPS coordinates. The document identifies that 90% are Aleppo pines, and 230 specimens have a height of more than 15 metres, with 155 between 10 and 15 metres.

This report includes a file for each tree detailing its current state and any physical or pest-related injuries that have occurred over the years. 29% of specimens show some structural alteration, and 20 of them have physiological alterations.

Of the total trees analysed, 49% require maintenance actions, 22% need pruning, 24 of them need to be planned for replacement, and 37 of them need to be felled due to the danger their fall may cause.

Additionally, the report also advises intensive pruning of other specimens due to excessive inclination or having dry elements that may also detach.