Tree care

Last updated
2008-04-21 Tree trimming on Gregson St 1.jpg
Tree trimmer on tracked treads
(Click for video) Tree trimmer on tracked treads.jpg
Tree trimmer on tracked treads
(Click for video)

Tree care is the application of arboricultural methods like pruning, trimming, and felling/thinning [1] in built environments. Road verge, greenways, backyard and park woody vegetation are at the center of attention for the tree care industry. Landscape architecture and urban forestry [2] [3] also set high demands on professional tree care. High safety standards against the dangers of tree care have helped the industry evolve. Especially felling in space-limited environments poses significant risks: the vicinity of power or telephone lines, insufficient protective gear (against falling dead wood, chainsaw wounds, etc.) and narrow felling zones with endangered nearby buildings, parking cars, etc.. The required equipment and experience usually transcends private means and is often considered too costly as a permanent part of the public infrastructure. In singular cases, traditional tools like handsaws may suffice, but large-scale tree care usually calls for heavy machinery like cranes, bucket trucks, harvesters, and woodchippers.

Contents

Road side trees are especially prone to abiotic stress by exhaust fumes, toxic road debris, soil compaction, and drought which makes them susceptible to fungal infections and various plant pests [4] like the spotted lantern fly. [5] When tree removal is not an option, because of road ecology considerations, the main challenge is to achieve road safety (visibility of road signs, blockage-free lanes, etc.) while maintaining tree health.

Tree removal

Lumberjack on a tree cutting (008).JPG

While the perceived risk of death by falling trees (a part of the "tree risk" complex) is influenced by media and often hyped (the objective risk has been reported to be close to 1 : 10.000.000, almost as low as death by lightning), [6] singular events have encouraged a "proactive" stance so that even lightly damaged trees are likely to be removed in urban and public traffic surroundings. [3] As a tree ages and nears the end of its safe useful life expectancy (SULE), [7] its perceived amenity value is decreased greatly. A risk assessment normally carried out by local council's arborist to determine the best course of action. [8] [9] As with all public green spaces, trees in green urban spaces and their careful conservation is sometimes in conflict with aggressive urban development even though it is often understood how urban trees contribute to liveability of suburbs and cities both objectively (reduction of urban heat island effect, etc.) and subjectively. [10] [11] [12] [13] Tree planting programs implemented by a growing number of cities, local councils and organizations is mitigating the losses and in most cases increasing the number of trees in suburbia. [14] Programs include the planting of 2 trees for every 1 tree removed, while some councils are paying land owners to keep trees instead of removing them for farming or construction. [15]

Standards

United States

The voluntary industry consensus standards developed by TCIA, resulted in the ANSI A300 standard, the generally accepted industry standard for tree care practices including trees, shrubs, and other woody plants. [16] It includes the following parts:

  1. Pruning
  2. Soil management
  3. Supplemental support systems
  4. Lightning protection systems
  5. Management
  6. Planting and transplanting
  7. Integrated vegetation management
  8. Root management standard
  9. Tree risk assessment
  10. Integrated pest management

Professional associations

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arboriculture</span> Management and study of trees and other woody plants

Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their environment. The practice of arboriculture includes cultural techniques such as selection, planting, training, fertilization, pest and pathogen control, pruning, shaping, and removal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arborist</span> Occupation concerning the care of perennial woody plants

An arborist, or arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dendrology and horticulture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pruning</span> Selective removal of parts of a plant

Pruning is a horticultural, arboricultural, and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban forestry</span> Land use management system in which trees or shrubs are cared or protected for well-being

Urban forestry is the care and management of single trees and tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Urban forestry involves both planning and management, including the programming of care and maintenance operations of the urban forest. Urban forestry advocates the role of trees as a critical part of the urban infrastructure. Urban foresters plant and maintain trees, support appropriate tree and forest preservation, conduct research and promote the many benefits trees provide. Urban forestry is practiced by municipal and commercial arborists, municipal and utility foresters, environmental policymakers, city planners, consultants, educators, researchers and community activists.

Articles on forestry topics include:.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Shigo</span> American horticulturist (1930-2006)

Alex L. Shigo was a biologist, plant pathologist with the United States Forest Service whose studies of tree decay resulted in many improvements to standard arboricultural practices. He travelled and lectured widely to promote understanding of tree biology among arborists and foresters. His large body of primary research serves as a broad foundation for further research in tree biology.

<i>Ulmus</i> Frontier Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Frontier' is an American hybrid cultivar, a United States National Arboretum introduction derived from a crossing of the European Field Elm Ulmus minor with the Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia in 1971. Released in 1990, the tree is a rare example of the hybridization of spring- and autumn-flowering elms. Tested in the US National Elm Trial coordinated by Colorado State University, 'Frontier' averaged a survival rate of 74% after 10 years.

<i>Ulmus</i> × <i>hollandica</i> Pioneer Elm cultivar

The hybrid elm cultivar Ulmus × hollandica 'Pioneer' is an American clone arising from the crossing of two European species, Wych Elm U. glabra and Field Elm U. minor. Raised by the USDA station at Delaware, Ohio, in 1971, 'Pioneer' was released to commerce in 1983.

Tree topping is the practice of removing whole tops of trees or large branches and/or trunks from the tops of trees, leaving stubs or lateral branches that are too small to assume the role of a terminal leader. Other common names for the practice include hat-racking, heading, rounding over, and tipping. Some species of trees are more likely to recover from topping than others. There are alternatives to topping that can help to achieve the same goals without damaging trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Certified Arborist</span> Professional credential

The Certified Arborist credential identifies professional arborists who have a minimum of three years' full-time experience working in the professional tree care industry and who have passed an examination covering facets of arboriculture. The Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) started the certification program in the 1980s, with the ISA initiating it in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social forestry in India</span> Forestry intended to help environmental, social, and rural development

Social forestry is the management and protection of forests and afforestation of barren and deforested lands with the purpose of helping environmental, social and rural development. The term social forestry was first used in 1976 by The National Commission on Agriculture, when the government of India aimed to reduce pressure on forests by planting trees on all unused and fallow lands. It was intended as a democratic approach to forest conservation and usage, maximizing land utilization for multiple purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Kirkham</span>

Tony Kirkham MBE VMH is the former Head of Arboretum, Gardens & Horticulture Services, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey County reforestation</span>

The Monterey County reforestation refers to efforts in Monterey County, California, to preserve the county's pine forests and urban environment. This one county boasts the native Monterey Pine ecosystem; one of the rarest forest ecosystems in the world. Only a few thousand acres of these endemic trees exist in four locations along the Pacific Ocean on the Central Coast of California. The city of Monterey itself maintains more than 19,000 trees in parks and along streets, as well as about 300 acres (1.2 km2) of Monterey Pine forests.

The Davey Tree Expert Company, also known as Davey Tree, is a North American employee-owned corporation. The company's main services are research driven tree services, grounds maintenance and environmental consulting services for residential, utility, commercial and environmental partners in the United States and Canada. Davey has employees throughout the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Arboricultural Council</span> Professional arborists organization

The European Arboricultural Council (EAC) based in Bad Honnef, Germany is a forum where delegates from a wide range of arboricultural organizations throughout Europe meet. The goal of the EAC is to elevate the status and to raise the professional level of competence within arboriculture. This objective is carried out by liaising on matters ranging from research and education to successful tree establishment and the improvement of safe working practices.

The Master Arborist or Board Certified Master Arborist credential identifies professional arborists who have attained the highest level of arboriculture offered by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and one of the two top levels in the field. There are several paths to the Board Certified Master Arborist, but typically on average each has been an ISA Certified Arborist a minimum of three to five years before qualifying for the exam. The certification began as a result of the need to distinguish the top few arborists and allow others to identify those with superior credentials. The ISA added specialty certifications of Utility Specialist, for those maintaining vegetation around electric utility wires, Municipal Specialist, for those with additional experience managing public urban trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree health</span>

Trees can live for a long time but eventually die, either from natural causes or killed by man. Ill-health of trees can be diagnosed, and early treatment, pruning or felling to prevent the spread may result in timber stocks and amenity trees being saved. Tree owners and Arborists/arboriculturists need to be aware of the risk posed by hazardous trees. Construction projects sometimes avoidably damage trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree fork</span>

A tree fork is a bifurcation in the trunk of a tree giving rise to two roughly equal diameter branches. These forks are a common feature of tree crowns. The wood grain orientation at the top of a tree fork is such that the wood's grain pattern most often interlocks to provide sufficient mechanical support. A common "malformation" of a tree fork is where bark has formed within the join, often caused by natural bracing occurring higher up in the crown of the tree, and these bark-included junctions often have a heightened risk of failure, especially when bracing branches are pruned out or are shaded out from the tree's crown.

A branch attachment is where a branch is attached to the trunk of a tree. Three types of branch attachment are recognized due to differences in the anatomical position of buds that form them. Two key components contribute to the mechanical strength and toughness of the attachment: interlocking wood grain at the top of the attachment and an embedded knot that often lies within the attachment. A common malformation of a branch attachment is the inclusion of bark within the join, which can weaken the attachment.

ANSI A300 is the tree care industry standard of care in the USA. It was developed by Tree Care Industry Association and maintained by consensus of various industry stakeholders through periodically reviewing and updating the guidelines. The standard is divided into ten parts:

References

  1. Council, Cornwall. "Practical Guidelines for Young Tree Care - Cornwall Council". www.cornwall.gov.uk. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  2. "Urban Forestry Management in Denver Colorado - Denver Tree Service - Tree Removal - Snow Removal". environmentaltreecarellc.com. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  3. 1 2 "Urban Forestry Operations". City of Toronto. Urban Forestry maintains 4.1 million trees on public property, which includes an estimated 3.5 million trees within Toronto's parks and ravines, and approximately 600,000 trees on City streets. ... The focus of our maintenance service is shifting progressively from reactive maintenance to proactive maintenance.
  4. Frankfurt, Umweltamt. "Tree protection in Frankfurt : Stadt Frankfurt am Main | Dezernat Umwelt und Gesundheit | Umweltamt". frankfurt-greencity.de (in German). Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  5. "spotted lantern fly".
  6. "EPA – Home" (PDF).
  7. "NOTES ON SAFE USEFUL LIFE EXPECTANCY (SULE RATING) AS USED IN TREE DESCRIPTION" (PDF). strathfield.nsw.gov.au.
  8. Northrop, Andrew K. Koeser, Gitta Hasing, Drew McLean, and Rob (2016-12-20). "Tree Risk Assessment Methods: A Comparison of Three Common Evaluation Forms". edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2018-04-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. "Tree Removal Australia – Stay Smart, Save Money". GoTreeQuotes. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  10. "Greening Our Streets Street Tree Management Plan" (PDF). City of Whittlesea, Australia. 2016.
  11. Peter Mitham (2015). "Redevelopment, urban tree removal raise city residents' concerns". Business Vancouver.
  12. eugenie stockmann (2016). "Are developers to blame for loss of tree cover in urban areas?". The Green Swing.
  13. Dinh Muoi, Thanh Nien News (2016). "Ho Chi Minh City announces massive tree removal plan for metro station". Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Ho Chi Minh City has announced a plan to move and cut down 300 trees on Ton Duc Thang Street in District 1 to make space for a bridge connecting to District 2 and a metro station.
  14. "Buy Trees and Learn About Trees - Visit our Online Nursery". www.arborday.org. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  15. "NVIM Quick Reference Guide. Obligations under the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy" (PDF). environment.vic.gov.au.
  16. Advanced Solutions International Inc. "TCIA | A300 Standards". www.tcia.org. Retrieved 2018-04-06.