What is meant by tree spiking?

What is meant by tree spiking?

Tree spiking is when a nail or a metal rod is driven into a tree, sometimes hidden in the bark. When a logger saws into the tree and hits the spike, it can shatter the chain saw and send shards of metal flying.

Is tree spiking good?

The spike can also lower the commercial value of the wood by causing discoloration, reducing the economic viability of logging in the long term, without threatening the life of the tree. It is illegal in the United States, and has been labeled a form of eco-terrorism.

Does tree spiking harm trees?

Each puncture from a climbing spike produces a certain amount of tree tissue death, though this varies from tree to tree. If soon after the work is performed with spikes there is sap oozing from the wounds, the tree is responding to spike damage. Repeated damage of this type is harmful to the tree.

Has anyone died tree spiking?

In May, 1987, sawmill worker George Alexander was nearly decapitated when a tree-spike shattered his sawblade at the Cloverdale Louisiana-Pacific mill in northern California. This grisly accident sent shock waves through our community, and eventually led Northern California Earth First! to renounce tree spiking.

Why is tree spiking bad?

Tree spiking is designed to make logging more difficult. Even if a spiked tree is successfully felled, it can still wreak havoc at a mill, as a spiked tree did in 1987 when it caused a sawblade to shatter, almost killing a mill worker. Some tree spikers say that it should be done as ethically as possible.

Why do environmentalists spike trees?

Tree spiking has been used by some radical environmentalist groups to protest logging, but the groups usually warned authorities that the trees had been tampered with–both to prevent injury and discourage the cutting of the trees in the first place.

What trees have spikes?

What Kind of Tree Grows Spikes?

• Silk Floss Tree. The silk floss tree (Chorisia speciosa) , found in the tropical forests of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Puerto Rico, bears thick spikes along the entire length of its bulging trunk.
• Honeylocust.
• Hercules’ Club.
• Guinea Bactris.

Do spikes hurt palm trees?

Attempting to climb a palm tree without the proper equipment or without adequate training can lead to serious injury. However, climbing spikes can cause permanent damage to the trunk of the tree or even spread disease if the tree is not climbed correctly.

Where do you put fertilizer spikes?

Drive the spike into the ground around your tree or shrub by following the drip line. Spikes should be at least 3 feet apart. For small trees and shrubs with a drip line closer than 2 feet, insert the spikes at least 2 feet away from center of your shrub or tree trunk. Remove the plastic cap and save for future use.

What kind of tree has spikes on the trunk?

The silk floss tree (Chorisia speciosa) , found in the tropical forests of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Puerto Rico, bears thick spikes along the entire length of its bulging trunk.

What do you need to know about tree spiking?

Tree spiking. Tree spiking involves hammering a metal rod, nail, or other material into a tree trunk, either inserting it at the base of the trunk where a logger might be expected to cut into the tree, or higher up where it would affect the sawmill later processing the wood.

Why is tree spiking illegal in the United States?

Tree spiking is designed to make logging more difficult. Tree spiking is a type of ecotage which is intended to prevent loggers from taking trees. In the United States, it is a federal felony, as of 1988.

When did tree spiking stop in Northern California?

In May, 1987, sawmill worker George Alexander was nearly decapitated when a tree-spike shattered his sawblade at the Cloverdale Louisiana-Pacific mill in northern California. This grisly accident sent shock waves through our community, and eventually led Northern California Earth First! to renounce tree spiking.

Who was the first person to Spiking trees?

It came to prominence as a contentious tactic within unconventional environmentalist circles during the 1980s, after it was advocated by Earth First! co-founder Dave Foreman in his book Ecodefense. In the book, he discusses how to do it and how to avoid risks to the activist and the logger.