Science of Arboriculture

Jeremy Barrell talks about legal implications for duty holders when a tree fails and causes harm. Learn about how the court could look at tree failures and how negligence and liability could be assigned.

Discover the diversity of over 900 eucalypt species by listening to Dean Nicolle’s talk on this episode of Science of Arboriculture. Dean Nicolle describes the cultivars, regeneration strategies, variety of uses, and economical importance of this dominant flora that is native to Australia but planted in landscapes across the world.

David Cashman divulges the depths of London’s soil by discussing the subterranean development and how it is related to city property and growth. Learn how engineers, designers, and arborists can work together to preserve trees in heavily disturbed construction sites.

Francesco Ferrini presents the results of a long-term project that investigates the impacts of mulch, compost, and fertilization on physical, chemical, and biological soil properties and resulting tree growth. Find out the most effective soil amendments and their potential to improve tree health and longevity.

In this month’s episode, Laura Mendiburu talks about the riveting results revealed by a comprehensive tree inventory conducted in Madrid, Spain. Learn how the inventory helped guide the strategic planning for tree care and maintenance in this European city.

How does the porous pavement affect tree growth? Find out on this podcast as Dr. Justin Morgenroth shares the results of his experiment where he measured the impact porous and impervious pavements had on root abundance, soil moisture, aeration, pH, and nutrient availability around trees.

Do you know how long it takes on average to train a young tree? What about how much it costs? Learn from Dr. Gregory Moore and Cameron Ryder on how formative pruning can be an effective strategy in reducing long-term tree maintenance costs.

Want to catch-up on the most recent literature on tree risk assessment? Listen to this podcast to hear Nelda Matheny talk about her analysis of over 700 research papers focused on biomechanics, wind in trees, soils, wood decay, and other topics related to tree risk assessment.

Dr. Kim Coder, professor at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources in Athens, Georgia, United States, delves deep into the complex world of atoms, elements, and trees. He discusses the process for diagnosis of element deficiencies in trees, as well as the impact of different combinations of elements. Don’t miss this episode where you can learn more about the complex interactions of soil elements and trees!

Kelaine Vargas, studied ecology and landscape architecture and has pursued research in these fields as a Fulbright Scholar in Berlin and with the U.S. Forest Service. In this talk, she discusses the history of the Urban Forest Map Project as well as some of its applications and the partnerships that they have developed. Listen to this episode to learn about this exciting collaboration of government, non-profit organizations, and private companies to map trees in San Francisco. This presentation was given at the ISA 2011 Annual Conference in Australia.

Judy Fakes, first arborist appointed as full-time judicial officer in Australia, discusses the model in New South Wales for resolving disputes involving trees. This model focuses specifically on solving disputes about trees and property between neighbors and acts as a reference for future legislations in other territories. This presentation was given at the ISA 2011 Annual Conference in Australia.

ISA Certified Arborist Mark Bridge, also a member of the Swiss Arborist Association and the international work safety committee, discusses the global development, manufacturing and quality assurance of personal protective equipment (PPE). Listen today as he touches on topics such as outsourcing, traceability, and regulations; and learn about the present-day challenges of inspecting climbing equipment and the implications for the end user. This presentation was given at the ISA 2011 Annual Conference in Australia.

In this episode of Science of Arboriculture Daniel Burcham discusses the relationship between urban soil properties and street tree performance in Singapore. Burcham’s presentation focuses on a few tropical trees such as the raintree (Samanea saman), yellow flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum), Honduras mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), and Senegal mahogany (Khaya senegalensis). Burcham is an arboriculture researcher at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology in the National Parks Board, Singapore and this presentation was given at the ISA 2011 Annual Conference in Australia.

When repairing a sidewalk, how close can the roots of a nearby tree be cut? Dr. Tom Smiley discusses the important issue of how root cutting impacts tree stability at variant distances. Find out the optimal distance for root cutting and the difference dry or wet soil can make on a tree’s stability on this month’s episode of Science of Arboriculture.

Dr. Tim Newson analyzes the performance of tree structures in severe winds to better understand wind speeds and the Fujita scale. What critical wind speeds lead to failure for different tree species? Find out more about his inquiries and how they apply in arboriculture on this month’s episode.