LA QUERCIA DI SAN BASILIO: UN ESEMPIO DI TRATTAMENTO DEGLI ALBERI MONUMENTALI

The oak of St. Basil is a monumental tree.A survivor of the wreck and the testimony of a landscape, a land use and a specific phase of human life, then it ceases to be a tree and becomes the "Tree".The estimated age of this oak (Quercus robur) is 500 years in the resort of Saint Basil in the town of Ariano Polesine inside the regional park of the Po Delta, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Throughout his life he suffered numerous ailments, fell free to wars, floods, floods.Today is in a serious state of decay. Whose causes are largely attributable to the damage suffered; such as moving the Po just 2 meter from the trunk, in 1976 was hit by lightning causing extensive structural damage and injury from the top to the base, which followed by a fungal invasion on the trunk and spurs radicals. The subject left for a long time has suffered a decline seemed irreversible. The administration of the municipality of Ariano Polesine and direction of the park have intervened to save "the tree". Which can be well under the very symbol of the park. In a 1995 study was analyzed the state of the foliage and roots. Major problems are found on the roots. In fact, the absorbing roots are found only up to three meters radius from the collar. Were carried out some work for the preservation of the roots and trunk, which gave favorable results initially Thanks to the revitalization and increased functionality of absorbing roots. Again abandoned the oak suffered a further regression until 2002 when the Veneto region has approved and funded a plan for recovery and preservation of the oak, so common in Ariano Park Authority and the University of Padua joined together to promote the recovery of the oak.