The objective of a Tree Protection Plan is to minimize the negative impact of construction. Tree protection should begin at the design phase, before any construction activities begin. The goal is to keep impacts to the protected trees to a minimum and allow construction to proceed in a timely and efficient manner. The part of the tree seen above ground is not a “mirror” of what lies below ground. In reality, there are a minimal amount roots radiating from the base of a tree and the biomass seen above ground is estimated to be 50 times greater than the root mass found below the soil surface. The “buttress” roots extend from the root crown and are visible where they flare away from the trunk. The large roots decrease in taper rapidly and branch repeatedly so that the further away from the trunk, the smaller the diameter of the root. The roots grow horizontally through the soil and extend well beyond the boundaries of the dripline. These smaller roots are primarily responsible for water and mineral absorption. The majority of the roots will be found in the upper 18 – 24” of soil. Although there can be hundreds of tiny roots in a cubic inch of soil, the removal of soil or root severance forces a tree to adjust its physiological processes to sustain the loss. In order to offset that stress, trees need continual care through the construction phase as well as post-construction until such time that the tree has recovered from the impacts of construction.