Science Of Arboriculture

What are the effects of pruning on mature trees? Linda Chalker-Scott presents the current state of science on the physiology of aging trees, which can be used to predict the impacts of conventional and retrenchment pruning on tree health. (A,M,T,L,Bs)

Falls are a constant danger for arborists working at height, and understanding the limitations and differences between fall protection, fall arrest, and fall restraint systems can be the difference in going home safe, or taking a trip to the hospital. Ed Carpenter explains in this month’s Science of Arboriculture. (A,M,T,L,Bm)

Taking care of an urban forest doesn’t mean you don’t have to deal with wildlife, and whether it’s protected species, or just ecological common sense, knowing how to retain wildlife will benefit the environment, and everyone in it. (A,U,M,T,L,Bsmp)

Using a tree inventory to list the species, health, age, and maintenance needs of a specific tree is easy, but when you’re dealing with an urban forest of thousands of trees, that’s where the science of Geomatics map making comes into play. (A,M,Bs)

As arborists it is easy to forget not everyone loves trees, in fact some people claim to hate them. In this episode of Science of Arboriculture, Francessco Ferrini examines the public misconceptions that can lead to this short sited view. (A,M,Bm)

A small dedicated group of researchers, tree climbers, and photographers set out to capture a singular image from the Waipuoua forest; a complete unobstructed picture of a full grown forest conifer. Their efforts became the New Zealand Tree Project, compositing the final picture from thousands of individual shots, and producing a documentary video of this towering project. (A,M,Bm)

Species diversity is an urban forest is vital to surviving a disease threat. In this month’s Science of Arboriculture, we look at the efforts in Sweden to learn from painful lessons and create a cooperative template between arborists, municipalities, and universities in promoting species diversity. (A, M, Bp)

In 2012 an ambitious project brought together arborists, municipal managers, and university researchers from three different countries to help establish standards for the young and growing arboricultural practice in the Baltic Sea region. Lina Juisoo explains the challenges and successes of Project Green Man (A,M,Bm)

Ever more detailed and complex tree inventories provide a wealth of information to urban forest managers, and can help identify potentially unsound trees before they fail. But just how much of that information should be made available to the general public? Is there a down-side to flagging potential risks? Jaroslav Kolarik reports on a program in the Czech Republic. (A,M,Bm)

The destructive potential of a medium to large falling branch is commonly acknowledged by arborists, but just how much force can a me branch deliver to a target? John Goodfellow recaps a study for the utility industry attempting to answer that question in this month’s episode of Science of Arboriculture (Original presentation by John Goodfellow) (A,U,M,T,L,Bs)

A three day freeze with temperatures well below zero decimated the urban forests of Chihuahua Mexico, leaving the city with tens of thousands of dead trees to remove and replace. Carlos Van Der Menden reports on the recovery efforts. (A,M,Bm)

The U.S. state of Florida covers thousands of square miles with climates ranging from temperate to tropical, Jason Smith, who specializes in emerging threats, takes a look at tree health issues in Florida, and beyond. (A,M,Bs)

Vegetation management under and around powerlines is a never ending struggle, but with today’s Satellite imagery and GIS, along with status reports from ground crews, near real time workload planning and cost forecasting is possible. Barry, Grubb of Florida Power and Light, and Chris Kelly of Clearion Software report on advances in this technology (A,U,M,Bm)

Every tree care business has its own unique set of capabilities, customer expectations, and pest management philosophies. Joe Boggs, assistant professor with Ohio State University Extension and department of entomology examines a common sense approach in maximizing pest management strategies. (A,U,M,T,L,Bm)

Ecological and financial benefits of tree planting projects can be quantified through long and short term studies, but what about the social outcomes for the communities of people involved, and the neighborhoods they live in? Jess Vogt and Shannon Watkins report on a five city study of neighborhood and non-profit urban forestry projects. (A,U,M,T,L,Bm)

Trees and greenscapes provide a wealth of physical health benefits; cleaner air, shade and resulting lower temperatures, but what about physiological benefits? Dr. Ellen Vincent reports on a fascinating study targeting patient pain levels when provided with views of nature. (A,Bm)

Individuals and companies place a high priority on safety, as do government regulators, and over the years that’s driven training standards. Keith Norton and Bob Urban examine the history of training standards and industry safety playing a perpetual game of catch-up in this month’s edition of Science of Arboriculture. (A,U,M,T,L,Bm)

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s an arborist with a drone! With the flood of unmanned aerial vehicles entering the commercial market, UAVs are already being put to use in agricultural, and arboricultural settings. From surveying and inspection, to pin-point spraying, Dan Staley and Alex Bilous takes a look at current and future use of drones in the green industry. (A,U,M,Bp)

Managing trees around utility power lines is a balance between maintaining a healthy forest, and guaranteeing uninterrupted power. Sara Sankowhich, system arborist with Unitil reports on a three year program that keeps the lights on, keeps utility customer’s happy, and maintains a thriving forest scape along right of ways. (A,U,M,Bm)

The struggles against the Asian Long Horned Beetle, and Emerald Ash Borer are just the latest battles against a history of imported pests. But as Joe Boggs explains, the challenge of dealing with non-native pests flows both ways between countries, and sharing information is the best weapon in turning the tide. (A,M,Bm)