Recent drought results in 4,000 trees removed from parks

An estimated average of 15 percent of the trees in Precinct 4's parks system have died.

Seen as kindling, the dead trees were a main reason why the court kept some form of a burn ban in place from April through December 2011.

The trees tagged as "urgent" had to be taken down because they might fall on a playground or picnic area, said Dennis Johnston, Harris County Precinct 4 parks director.

There are 23 parks in the precinct, with Meyer Park in Spring being hit the hardest, Johnston explained. Due to the drought, trees were stressed and weakened because they were not getting enough water, the ground was cracking around them and the roots were starting to get exposed.

"The hypoxylon fungus affects stressed trees and we may be looking at oak trees today that won't be here three years from now," Johnston said. "The drought stresses the trees and the fungus looks for an opportunity to get in. It can take a while for it to kill the tree."

While the fungus has killed oaks, southern pine bark beetles have killed the pine trees, a problem that did not show up in October. Now, Johnston estimates, the beetles have spread to the 200-plus pine trees in Meyer Park.

"When pine trees get to the point when they are brown at the top, it is done," he said. "The beetles borough in just under the bark layer and lay larvae that cut a circle around the tree. They emerge out as adults at the same time and fly and mate and lay some more eggs."

More than 1,200 trees were taken out of Meyer Park by March, which were ground up into mulch that will be used for equestrian trails and dog parks, Johnston said.

"The tree removal may be done for now at Meyer Park, but trees are still dying," he said. "When we did the survey in October, we only had 1,000 dead trees, now they are taking away another 1,000."