Asshole vandals chainsaw dozens of trees across downtown L.A.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

L.A.'s fragile urban canopy was dealt a vicious blow this weekend when a chainsaw-wielding vandal cut down a number of shade trees along South Grand Avenue and other areas of downtown, according to media posts and photos uploaded to Reddit and Instagram.

The Los Angeles Police Department told The Times it had no information about the tree destruction, and an email and phone call to the city's Urban Forestry Division went unanswered Sunday.

Social media images showed a number of trees that were severed at the base, while others were cut several feet above the pavement. A few of the felled trees were still connected to their trunks by just a thread of bark or wood.

According to Reddit user TipTapMyWipWap, every tree between 1st Street and Wilshire Boulevard was cut down. However, a review of photos suggests a few remain standing.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/vandals-chainsaw-dozens-trees-across-202033910.html

[hauckeye]

1. Geez-what the heck is wrong with people 😡

[maxsolomon]

6. either they

1. think it's hilarious
2. have mental illness

99.99999999% confident this asshole will be male.

[Bo Zarts]

2. LA Chainsaw Massacre Perp: Smile, you were on candid camera(s) .. everywhere.

Cool Hand Luke did it to municiple parking meters and it didn't turn out too well for him.

[SamKnause]

4. "What we've got here is a failure to communicate."

[Bo Zarts]

16. Spoken by the great character actor Strother Martin

[usedtobedemgurl]

3. Does Elon have an alibi for that time period?

[chowder66]

5. Video segment here.

"These are parts of our infrastructure that are doing a massive amount of work that have an invaluable health benefits and other benefits to the residents," she said. "I think ... these vandals don't live far out of Los Angeles, it's like they are shooting themselves in the lungs by doing this."

Carrie said that the suspect could have been specifically targeting the Laurel Fig species of tree. They're no longer planted in the area due to their invasive nature and ability to crack sidewalks.

"They're incredible trees for our environment ... but they are the ones that have those really invasive roots that end up getting into infrastructure," she said. "These were younger trees. ... They would have had so much time of benefitting the city. It takes seconds with a chainsaw to erase decades of potential environmental benefits."

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/vandals-use-chainsaw-to-cut-down-trees-along-several-downtown-la-streets/

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Um, "invasive nature" ? If they're an invasive species, they should have been cut down.

Impacts

Laurel fig invades the interior and edges of hammocks and is often found growing as epiphytes (on trees) or epiliths (on rocks or stone structures). It produces a large number of viable seeds which are ingested and spread by birds and animals. Because laurel fig is adapted to a wide range of conditions, it outcompetes native flora by strangling its host plant with its aerial roots during its early life as an epiphyte. As a mature tree, its dense canopy and numerous, hanging aerial roots shade out competitors.

The UF/IFAS Assessment lists laurel fig as a species of caution for central and south Florida. FLEPPC lists it as a Category l invasive species due to its ability to invade and displace native plant communities.

https://plant-directory.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/ficus-microcarpa/

I wish that people who plant trees would choose NATIVE North American species. Some of their populations have been greatly diminished by habitat loss, and climate change will make it a lot worse. We don't need any more Bradford/Callery pear trees.

[chowder66]

12. It hasn't been determined if they are that species. She was positing a theory as to why someone might do this.

[eppur_se_muova]

13. "A number of the trees appeared to be a drought-resistant species known as Indian laurel fig, or Ficus microcarpa."

Directly from the LATimes link in the OP.

[chowder66]

15. I see that I missed that and that is why I was looking for more information and found the video.

[chowder66]

14. Many were Indian Laurel Figs also found this on facebook.

I don't have an account but I could copy it.

Indian laurel figs (Ficus microcarpa) lining the streets in #dtla . ​The large, drought tolerant lollipop-shaped Indian Laurel Fig was once hailed as a miracle tree for cities, able to grow well in polluted conditions with little water and and to a massive size, providing lots of shade. The tree is so hardy, however, that its massive roots break up any sidewalk that gets in its way. Impressive, but inconvenient. The real problem is that these incredible organisms were not given the space they needed to grow. Removing them now is controversial as they provide so many positives for the city - shade, clean air, retaining groundwater, mitigating local climate change, while at the same time destroying all sidewalks around them.

https://www.facebook.com/TreesofLosAngeles/posts/indian-laurel-figs-ficus-microcarpa-lining-the-streets-in-dtla-the-large-drought/1625766817811365/

I'm wondering if the trees had root barriers. There are guidelines for planting ficus and they had done restoration work on ficus trees downtown by installing them at certain points over the years.

[phylny]

7. At this point, they should

fundraise for circular iron fence to encircle the trees. Pay for one, get a plaque.

[NEOH]

8. MAGAt 'Bros perhaps?

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Illegal to *plant* this tree in some areas -- it is invasive.

https://www.miamidade.gov/environment/library/posters/prohibited-plants.pdf

Native alternatives to laurel fig for use in home landscaping or natural areas include Strangler fig (Ficus aurea), Mastic (Sideroxylon foetidissimum) or Live oak (Quercus virginiana). {for south FL}
https://plant-directory.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/ficus-microcarpa/

[Beringia]

11. How was it that no one took pics of him doing the chopping

[hunter]

17. Police have got the guy...

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/downtown-los-angeles-chainsaw-tree-massacre-suspect-in-custody/