Articles | Volume 26, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-2461-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-2461-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
01 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 01 Jun 2026
| 01 Jun 2026
Predicting the risk of individual tree fall along powerlines in Norway with a mechanistic wind risk model and machine learning
Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Division of Forestry and Forest Resources, Department of Forest Management, Høgskoleveien 8, 1433 Ås, Norway
Barry Gardiner
Institut Européen De La Forêt Cultivée, Cestas, France
Department of Forestry Economics and Forest Planning, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Scotland, United Kingdom
Svein Solberg
Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Division of Forestry and Forest Resources, Department of Forest Management, Høgskoleveien 8, 1433 Ås, Norway
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Toby D. Jackson, Sarab Sethi, Ebba Dellwik, Nikolas Angelou, Amanda Bunce, Tim van Emmerik, Marine Duperat, Jean-Claude Ruel, Axel Wellpott, Skip Van Bloem, Alexis Achim, Brian Kane, Dominick M. Ciruzzi, Steven P. Loheide II, Ken James, Daniel Burcham, John Moore, Dirk Schindler, Sven Kolbe, Kilian Wiegmann, Mark Rudnicki, Victor J. Lieffers, John Selker, Andrew V. Gougherty, Tim Newson, Andrew Koeser, Jason Miesbauer, Roger Samelson, Jim Wagner, Anthony R. Ambrose, Andreas Detter, Steffen Rust, David Coomes, and Barry Gardiner
Biogeosciences, 18, 4059–4072, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4059-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4059-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We have all seen trees swaying in the wind, but did you know that this motion can teach us about ecology? We summarized tree motion data from many different studies and looked for similarities between trees. We found that the motion of trees in conifer forests is quite similar to each other, whereas open-grown trees and broadleaf forests show more variation. It has been suggested that additional damping or amplification of tree motion occurs at high wind speeds, but we found no evidence of this.
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Short summary
Tree falls along power lines cause safety, cost, and environmental issues. Drones can map individual trees to improve risk management. We applied the ForestGALES wind-risk model to individual trees along power lines in southern Norway. It performed moderately alone but combining it with machine learning greatly improved accuracy, offering managers precise guidance for safer vegetation management.
Tree falls along power lines cause safety, cost, and environmental issues. Drones can map...
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