Latest news with #trees
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
They think it's fall over... it is now! England hero Kevin Keegan and neighbours win bid to have trees cut down
England footballing hero Kevin Keegan and his neighbours have emerged victorious in their bid to have seven 'nuisance' trees outside his Cheshire mansion axed. The former Newcastle United manager, 74, as well as his next door neighbours were embroiled in a battle with fellow locals who opposed the 'wholesale' cull of the 60ft tall sycamore trees A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) was placed on the 50-year-old trees outside of the row of houses, including Keegan's before they were constructed. The Liverpool legend and his neighbours applied to their local councils for the 'decaying' trees to be axed to the ground, however concerns for magpies and other birds were raised in opposition to the plans. One opposing local had even submitted a recording of birds, including blue tits, Magpies, robins, and blackbirds to the council in a desperate attempt to save the trees, the Sun reported. Another said in a letter that the protected trees had always provided a 'welcome' and 'natural habitat' for a 'wide diversity of animals, especially birds' for several years. They also argued the trees provided privacy and shade in the summer months, and that their view would be impacted by the removal of the trees which, according to them, had 'caused no real problems at all' over the last four decades. One objector described the possible felling of the trees as a 'wanton removal', adding: 'After all the trees were there long before the houses were built.' Despite the opposition, Keegan and his neighbours won their bid to have the 'dead' trees felled to the ground. And although Trafford Council have given the green light for the trees to be axed, they have ordered for new trees to be planted in their place. 'The sycamore trees proposed for removal are all in poor condition, most have areas of dead bark on the lower stem, structural weaknesses in the crown and poor leaf budding rates,' they said. 'Decay is evident in several previous pruning points and these trees are likely to become hazardous in the near future if they remain. The former Newcastle boss, who was nicknamed the Mighty Mouse, first moved into his five-bedroom Cheshire home in 2002. He has since had two dormer windows, a rear conservatory installed as well as a loft conversion. During his glittering football career, Keegan won two UEFA Cups, three Division One Championships, as well as a European Cup while at Liverpool. The 74-year-old also won the Ballon D'Or two separate times. His latest victory comes after he exclusively revealed to MailOnline that he became a major figure in English football thanks to George Best.
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
My neighbour chopped all our trees down without our permission – our garden's now a mess & I'm fuming
A WOMAN has been left fuming after claiming her 'psycho' neighbour chopped down her garden's trees without permission. In a video, she shared the before and after of her outdoor space, with her garden looking like a mess after the massacre. 3 3 On her account, she shared the entire story - and people are split in the comments. She claimed: 'About two months ago, our neighbor asked us to remove our trees because flowers were falling into his yard. 'Of course I felt terrible but we said no, because I loved those trees for many reasons. 'However, we immediately had them professionally cut back (which we do every other year, per our landscaper's recommendation). He lost it. 'He sent a bunch of unhinged messages to my husband but we thought it had blown over after we had the trees cut back and the flowers stopped blooming. 'Fast forward to this past weekend, while we weren't home (which he knew), they were mysteriously chopped down. Every last one. 'They were cut aggressively and conveniently in a way that ensured nothing fell into his yard.' She shared how she had asked neighbours if they had seen what happened - and word got back to the person they suspect did it. The woman claims he then started sending her husband 'threatening messages' filled with 'profanity and intimidation.' The social media user said she wasn't sharing the story for sympathy but because she felt 'heartbroken'. She said she has filed a police report and is trying to get justice over the incident. Your kids are breaking law if they kick their ball over neighbour's fence, High Court rules after couple sued next door People were quick to tune in on the tree debacle, with one saying: 'Huge trees are a pain in a garden but you cannot just go in neighbors garden and cut them down!' Another also supported her saying: 'What type of psycho goes to another person's yard and cuts down their trees!!!! 'It's truly insane. I'm sorry this was done to you.' However, some people took the neighbour's side. One wrote: 'Why do people plant their trees so close to the border?' Another added: 'understand your feelings but anything hanging over his yard I presume he can legally cut back?' What are your rights if a neighbour's tree hangs into your garden? 3 In order to prevent overhanging branches turning into furious rows between neighbours, Natalie Welsh, head of property at HCB Widdows Mason shared what your rights are in this tricky situation. "It can be really frustrating when branches or plants from your neighbour's garden start to spill over into your space", she said. "In England and Wales, you're allowed to cut back any branches that cross onto your property, but only up to the boundary line. "Just make sure you don't step onto your neighbour's land or damage the tree itself." When trimming a tree back, you are not allowed to lean into your neighbour's garden, since that can be considered trespassing. Natalie advised that before taking any drastic action, it's best to have a friendly chat with your neighbour first. Rules on fences and trees Fences: Height Restrictions: In most areas, fences in front gardens should not exceed one metre in height without planning permission. For rear gardens, the limit is generally two metres. Shared Fences: If a fence is shared with a neighbour, both parties are typically responsible for its maintenance and any costs associated with repairs or replacement. Building Regulations: Ensure that any new fence complies with local building regulations and does not obstruct visibility for drivers or pedestrians. Trees: Ownership: Trees located on your property are your responsibility, including any damage they may cause. Conversely, trees on a neighbour's property are their responsibility. Overhanging Branches: You are entitled to trim branches that overhang into your property, but only up to the boundary line. The cut branches should be offered back to the tree owner. Protected Trees: Some trees are protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). Check with your local council before undertaking any work on a tree, as unauthorised work can result in fines. Roots: If tree roots from a neighbour's tree cause damage to your property, you have the right to remove the roots. However, it is advisable to discuss this with your neighbour first to avoid disputes. Always consult your local council or a legal adviser for specific regulations and advice.
Vogue
6 days ago
- Vogue
Visiting the Hamptons This Summer? Take a Moment for the Trees
Now, face-to-trunk with the most maudlin tree I've ever met, I realize I've taken my hometown's fragile flora for granted. On the heels of our driest season on record, the gadflies about town are buzzing not about the traffic, but about the pests, diseases, and climate concerns threatening the trees. A cadre of local arborists, eco-artists, and tribal leaders are protecting the primeval superstars that made the Hamptons the Hamptons in the first place. So, this summer, take the road less traveled and visit these less-touristed herbaceous haunts in support of its (hopefully) flourishing arbol future. Shinnecock Nation On any given summer day, 38,000 commuter cars inch across the Shinnecock Canal, and past the oldest Hamptonite: a 300-year-old beech that has miraculously resisted rampant Beech Leaf Disease. Due to the Shinnecock Nation's advocacy, the now-designated heritage tree's colossal presence is protected for future generations. 'All Shinnecock have our own unique relationship with the trees,' says Rebekah Phoenix Wise, the Shinnecock Nation's communications manager. 'We're foragers, scientists, and land-use attorneys—but above all, we're stewards of nature.' She recommends keeping 'an eye on the Nation's Instagram to hear about impromptu nature and foraging walks offered by community naturalists.' Until the indigenous plant garden reopens, Wise touts 'Little Beach Harvest, an innovative concept shop run by the tribe where you can learn more about our connection to traditional plant medicine.' Shop for handcrafted sage oils or enjoy art exhibits, live concerts, and film screenings. LongHouse Reserve
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Could trees know when the summer solstice is?
This article was originally featured on The Conversation. People have been celebrating the summer solstice with elaborate rituals since prehistoric times. But humans aren't the only species to take mark June 21 as a special time. Studies are showing the summer solstice is an important cue for plants too. Recent studies, including one of my own, have proposed that trees may use the longest day of the year as a key marker for their growth and reproductive cycles. The solstice seems to act like a calendar reminder for trees. For example, at the solstice, trees growing in cold places slow down the creation of new wood cells and focus their energy on finishing already formed but still incomplete cells. This ensures trees have time to complete cell construction before winter hits. Incomplete cells are damaged by freezing winter temperatures, rendering them useless for water transport the following year. Along similar lines, trees use the solstice to fine-tune the 'winding down', or senescence, of their leaves in preparation for autumn. Senescence allows the tree to reabsorb critical nutrients from the leaves before they fall. This process is timed to balance missing out on sunlight from 'winding down' too early, against leaving it too late and losing nutrients if still-green leaves are killed by autumn frosts. Satellite observations of forests, and controlled experiments in greenhouses, reveal that warmer temperatures immediately prior to the solstice cause the onset of leaf browning to start earlier that autumn. In contrast, warmer temperatures just after the solstice slow down the senescence process. This means a longer transition period from green to fully brown leaves. This fine-tuning enables trees to extend the period of photosynthesis in years when temperatures stay warmer for longer, so they don't miss out on these favourable conditions. But not all scientists are convinced. From an evolutionary perspective, the solstice may not be the best seasonal marker for timing these transitions. For example, in forests in the far north, leaves do not appear until early June, only days before the solstice, and the growing season can extend late into October. In these forests, using the solstice to initiate the winding down process makes little sense for trees that have only just started growing for the year. Nevertheless, there is more consensus about plants using the solstice to synchronise reproduction. In many plants, especially trees from the temperate mid-latitudes, the number of seeds they produce varies dramatically year on year, known as masting. A large European beech tree can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds in a bumper year (a 'mast event') and forgo reproduction altogether in other years. Beech trees vary their annual seed production in step, often on a continental scale. They do this to increase the efficiency of their reproduction. A small moth, Cydia fagiglandana, lays its eggs in beech flowers. When the grubs hatch, they eat and destroy the developing seeds. Cycles of famine and bumper years help protect their seeds from these moths. UK beech trees typically lose less than 5% of their seeds to Cydia because the cycles starve the moths into low numbers ready for masting years. But when trees are out of sync, seed loss can increase to over 40%. For decades we have known that beech mast events happen in the year after a warm summer. These warmer temperatures trigger an increase in the formation of flower buds. More flower buds usually lead to a greater crop of seeds that autumn. Scientists have long puzzled over how beech trees across Europe seem to use the same seasonal window to control mast events. Their seed production is determined by temperatures in late June and early July, irrespective of where they grow in Europe. But how can a beech tree know the date? In my team's 2024 study, we showed that they use the solstice as a seasonal marker. As soon as the days start to shorten after the solstice, beech trees across Europe seem to simultaneously sense the temperature. Anywhere temperatures are above average in the weeks following the solstice can expect to have a mast event the next year. Weather conditions in the weeks before the solstice, by contrast, seem to be irrelevant. As seen on weather maps, warm and cool spells tend to occur simultaneously over large areas. This allows beech trees to maximise the synchrony of their reproduction, whether that is investing in a mast year (warm temperatures), or forgoing reproduction for a year (low temperatures). Using a fixed marker like the solstice is the key to achieving this synchrony, and the benefits that come from it. The evidence for this phenomenon has come from observations across dozens of forests across Europe. However, my research group is collaborating with about a dozen other groups in Europe to test this effect by manipulating the temperature of beech branches before and after the solstice at different sites. Ongoing research I am involved with seems to show flowering genes are activated at the summer solstice. Also, studies into the circadian rhythms of plants show they have mechanisms in their molecules that allow them to detect and respond to tiny changes in day length. This is the basis for that extraordinary scale of synchronised reproduction. If the weather is warm over the next month or so, then there is a good chance that beech trees in your local area will have heavy seed crops next autumn. What's more, trees across the UK and into northern and central Europe will probably be doing the same.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why the summer solstice is a ‘celestial starting gun' for trees
For millennia, the summer solstice has marked a pivotal moment in the human calendar – a turning point steeped in mythology, when the oak king is said to yield to the holly king, and the days begin to shorten. Now, science is increasingly revealing that trees really do respond to this celestial shift, with changes in their growth and reproductive strategies occuring immediately after the calendar's longest day. A study gives fresh insights into why this happens, with implications for how forests might adapt to changing climates. Although it has long been known that plants use daylight to cue seasonal activities such as leaf growth, botanists have recently begun to question whether the summer solstice itself, which occurs between 20 and 22 June in the northern hemisphere, could act as a celestial 'starting gun' for certain events. Last year, researchers led by Prof Michał Bogdziewicz at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland discovered that, regardless of where in Europe beech trees live, they abruptly open a temperature-sensing window on the solstice, using it to decide how many seeds to manufacture the following year. If it is warm in the days after the solstice, they will produce more flower buds the following spring, leading to a bumper crop of beech nuts in the autumn. But if it's cool they might produce none – a phenomenon known as masting. 'The window of temperature sensitivity opens at the solstice and remains open for about 30 to 40 days. There is no other phenomenon that could so tightly anchor beech trees all across Europe at exactly the same time,' Bogdziewicz said. Swiss researchers also recently discovered that trees in temperate horthern hemisphere forests seemingly switch their growth strategy at around the solstice: warm temperatures before this date accelerate the ageing of their leaves, whereas warm temperatures after it slow down this process. This means it takes longer for their leaves to turn brown in the autumn, maximising their ability to photosynthesise and grow when conditions are favourable. The latest study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides a fresh insight into the relationship between trees and the summer solstice. Dr Victor Van der Meersch and Dr Elizabeth Wolkovich at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, analysed 1,000 years of temperature records across Europe and North America, combining them with future climate projections. Their findings suggest that trees reach their thermal optimum – the temperature range where their physiological processes hum most efficiently – around the summer solstice. Remarkably, this peak has remained stable across centuries. 'In Spain the optimal period is slightly earlier, and in Scandinavia it is slightly later – on average across Europe and North America, the summer solstice seems to be an optimal time for plants to make decisions,' Van der Meersch said. 'This was quite surprising because the warmest days are usually in July or August – they are not around the summer solstice.' If the solstice consistently coincides with peak growing conditions, it could make evolutionary sense for plants to use it as a cue – especially since this thermal sweet spot appears to have held steady across time. 'Plants are always trying to find a balance between risk and opportunities,' Van der Meersch explained. 'The further they go into the growing season, the easier it is for them to know if it's a good growing year or a bad one – but there's also less time left to use this information.' The solstice seems to represent a critical juncture in this decision-making process. 'It makes sense for them to switch between one growth strategy or another at this time.' However, the question of whether they are sensing the change in day length, or a coincidental sweet spot in temperature, remains open. While researchers like Bogdziewicz are exploring how trees detect changes in day length at around the solstice, Van der Meersch thinks temperature may be playing a larger role than previously appreciated. 'Rather than sensing the solstice, perhaps what really matters are the temperature accumulation patterns at around this time,' he said. However, because there is a strong correlation between temperature and day length, 'we need a lot more research to disentangle these complex signals',' he added. 'It is also possible that they rely on a combination of both summer solstice and thermal cues to optimise growth and reproductive timing.' Understanding the mechanism is important, because it could have implications for how forests adapt to the climate crisis. 'If plants are using warmth signals rather than day length this might be a good thing, because they could have a better ability to adapt to local environmental conditions,' Van der Meersch said. 'If they are relying on day length, the solstice will always be fixed to around 21 June, so there is less flexibility.'
