Effect of Hurricane Andrew on tropical fruit trees.
Crane J. H., Campbell R. J., Balerdi C. F.
Author Affiliation: Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, IFAS, Homestead, FL 33031-3314, USA.
Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 106 : 139-144
Abstract : A severe hurricane struck Dade County, Florida on 24 Aug. 1992 and devastated much of the acreage of subtropical and tropical fruit crops. A survey was conducted 10-15 months later, in avocado, lime cv. Tahiti [Citrus latifolia], mango, carambola, guava, longan, litchi, mamey sapote [Pouteria sapota] and atemoya plantations. Percentages were determined of trees that were toppled, reduced to major scaffold limbs, destroyed or left standing after the storm. For each crop, 3-7 orchards were surveyed; they ranged from 1 to 120 acres in area with trees between 2 and 46 years old and between 6 and 25 ft tall prior to the storm. More lime (95%), carambola (93%), atemoya (90%), avocado (87%), mamey sapote (84%) and guava (84%) trees survived than did mango (71%), longan (70%) or litchi (60%). More atemoya (77%) trees were toppled than any other crop; mamey sapote had the highest percentage (44%) of stumped trees, and more trees of carambola (76%), guava (69%), avocado (67%) and grafted (as opposed to air-layered) lime (66%) remained standing than those of other crops. The relationships between (1) tree age and height and (2) the percentages of trees that were toppled, destroyed, stumped, standing or surviving varied between the crops.