Science of Arboriculture

What is good branch structure? And how does determining good branch structure affect our pruning standards? These are questions Dr. Gregory Dahle will discuss in this episode of Science of Arboriculture. Dr. Dahle focused his experiments on analyzing how the branching structure of decurrent trees change their form and function over time.

There has been much anecdotal evidence about the effects of aerated compost tea on soil, but there have been few peer-reviewed studies on the topic. Join us for this episode of Science of Arboriculture, in which Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch, soil scientist at The Morton Arboretum, discusses his experiments with aerated compost tea. Topics in this lecture include what makes “good dirt” in the urban landscape, Dr. Scharenbroch’s process for making aerated compost tea, as well as his results in comparing aerated compost tea to other treatments.

In this episode of Science of Arboriculture we will hear from Lothar Göcke, about the use of tomography equipment to detect decay in trees. In his presentation, Lothar also talks about the technology behind the use of tomograms for tree inspection as well as how to interpret tomograms for different tree species.

:Phytophthora cinnamoni and other species of Phytophthora are a common problem for landscape plants. This fungi causes root and crown rots. Phytophthora and laurel oak ( Quercus laurifolia ) have lived simultaneously in the southeast United States for close to 200 years, but recently the fungi has become a serious issue among laurel oaks. Join us for this episode of Science of Arboriculture as Dr. Steve Jeffers discusses this problem, and treatment methods for preventing death among laurel oaks.

In this episode of Science of Arboriculture, we will hear Philip van Wassenaer, president of the consulting firm Urban Forest Innovations, Inc. His talk focuses on the use of pulling tests for real-world tree stability assessments. In this podcast you will learn about principles of tree statics and how they can be utilized to evaluate tree stability.

In this episode of Science of Arboriculture, John Goodfellow talks about his research on the biomechanics of small branches and how they may fail. He also discusses his work finding and defining good indicators of branch failure, as well as where small branches were typically seen to fail.

In this episode of Science of Arboriculture we will present an issue that gets many arborists “ticked off.” Dr. Wes Watson discusses an important issue for arborists working in the field: tick and tick-borne diseases. In this episode you will learn about the different species of ticks and their associated pathogens, as well as methods for preventing disease and localized control of tick populations.

In this episode of Science of Arboriculture, learn how wind and other loads affect tree stability and how urban trees’ branches aid in supporting trees dynamically. Our guest, Dr. Ken James, discusses dynamic systems versus static systems, and how we might apply this knowledge to the study of tree stability for urban trees.

In this episode of Science of Arboriculture Dr. Dirk Dujesiefken delivers a lecture on the CODIT Principle. Dr. Dujesiefken addresses the four phases of the defense reaction according to the CODIT principle, and shares his most recent experiments which have interesting implications for how, he suggests, the CODIT model should be expanded.

Adriana Jacykewycz lectures on green streets and storm-water capture in New York City on this week’s Science of Arboriculture podcast. Adriana is the director of “Greenstreets,” a project in which she and her team are converting unused roadbeds into planting beds and storm water capture systems. Adriana discusses the various studies involved in her project, and the challenges and success they have encountered thus far.

Join us for this week’s episode of Science of Arboriculture in which Dr. Patricia Zungoli discusses fire and needle ants. These two species of ants continue to dominate their surrounding habitats, and Dr. Zungoli delivers a compelling lecture regarding the nature of the problem as well as possible methods of treatment.

On this episode of “Science of Arboriculture,” Dr. Jim Clark discusses Manion’s “morality spiral,” and how this concept relates to a process of decline we see in many urban trees. Dr. Clark gives an in depth outline of the symptoms associated with the decline spiral, and discusses potential management prevention strategies to prevent premature tree death.

In this episode, join us as Dr. Christina Wells presents a series of experiments across the country testing a soil decompaction and amendment process designed to improve soil conditions for root growth and tree performance in urban trees. Listen to this episode to find out whether the results of Dr. Wells’ experiment indicate a value to a combination treatment approach to urban trees in compacted soil.

In this podcast, Mr. Andreen delineates prevention tactics that the public entity litigator, the urban forester, as well as the private arborist can use to proactively defend his/her public entity, company or client in tree-related, personal injury litigation cases.

One means of de-polluting our soils, air, and water is through the use of living organisms, or bioremediation. If the bioremediation process uses plants to contain, degrade, eliminate, or accumulate these pollutants is called phytoremediation. Trees and shrubs in the landscape were evaluated using Filterra, a stormwater management system.