Title: The Hot Spot – why trees and branches fail beyond their point of attachment

Summary: Trees can disperse externally applied loads while remaining largely intact, but often at the cost of shedding subordinate parts. Inherent safety factors make stems and branches stronger than required to withstand normally occurring loads, but subordinate branches are ordinarily less stable. When stems and branches fail in the absence of substantial defects, the point of failure is often predictable. This point is referred to as the "hot spot." This presentation discusses a consolidated approach to understanding both the mechanical stability and mechanical failure of trees and their branches.

Mike Ellison, n/a, Manager, Cheshire Woodlands, Arboriculture, Poynton, CHESHIRE, United Kingdom

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