Arborist TEST question

[Frans]

Interesting philosophy Oakwilt. Its not really related to a tree growing within a yard or parking lot/strip, etc. but I do share these same ideas.
Rocky what I liked about your 'in jest' answer of chainsaws being the most detrimental factor in tree decline is; I cannot figure out if there is ANY bug or disease that can deceminate a tree faster than a hack with a chainsaw
Frans

 

[murphy4trees]

How about this tidbit...
All bovine bone meal in the US is contaminated with lead... leftover in all the soil everywhere from leaded gas....

Except New Zealand... their bone meal is clean....

Hey Oakwilt..
did you ever hear the theory that all the rock face that showed up when the Himilayas poked up is altering ocean chemistry...

All that rock leaching minerals, I believe acidic, into the ocean.. I think that has been widely accepted...

 

[M.D. Vaden]

I'd say soil compaction / construction related soil damage of the same nature.

 

[Frans]

MD VADEN YOU MADE THE GRADE!
In my opinion, the single most adverse environmental condition effecting trees in the urban landscape is:
SOIL COMPACTION
Frans

 

[TreeJunkie]

Ok Next Question Please...

 

[Gopher]

And the winner is...

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
the earth is where we come from, so the soil we live on is a must!!!

So, this is not the brightest line I will ever write;
bring on the acid rain, bring it tonight,

For here where I call my home the midwest,
our pH levels are high following a soil test.

Therefore, as we ponder another question or two,
are your hydrangeas pink, white or blue?!

In the soil lies our answers one and all,
every tree is affected, from big to small;

On vertisol, on hapludol on alfisol I say
know your soils, and the trees will play!

Move it, abuse it and often we compact,
the soil needs our help, so please let us act.

Try reading soil taxonomy before heading to bed;
it will leave great "dirty" thoughts dancing in your head!

Good night all! No, I'm not going to read my "Soil Taxonomy" tonight. Can't you tell, my brain is lready to far gone...!

Gopher

 

[SteveBullman]

lets not forget good old dogs piss

 

[Reed]

"On vertisol, on hapludol on alfisol I say
know your soils, and the trees will play!"

Descriptive basics. The first book anyone should read as a 3th grader soaking-up wisdom. Oh, wait a minute...is Barney The Purple Dinosaur still on t.v.?

However things have changed. A lot.

One thing that's been revolutionary (at least as significant in changing culture as the telescope) is that we have the capability to detect down to the parts/per/quadrillion range. That means we can see what we make and how long it lasts and maybe figure how it got there. Most importantly, what's it doing by being there.

Wow. Lot's of stuff and maybe importantly, stuff that we find that came from nowhere but here, manufactured or discarded and some forgotten and others unavoidable. If it becomes so small, so dilute that a ppq is necessary to find it and find it in places sources can't connect from, then we need to start thinking about what is we we're doing here by being here.

Until now.

So we study flows and patterns and movement then releases. If something's here and it had to come from there, then how? That leads to other questions, and asking those leads to more. I don't know about you guys but the data I check every once and awhile all compiles to present some pretty serious and rapid changes that we need to consider, some at some point and lot's of it now.

Disease epidemics are interesting too - the flow and patterns are studied differently than the pathology of the disease. Waiting to have one is failure number one because we've ignored the smaller systems whose functions dictate everything larger. When they change so does everything else, sometimes insignificant, sometimes catastrophic, but all related, the ripple from a source. Ebola from isolated protection until we started having to eat more monkeys because more people have to close-in on them 'cause the roads now go there. Ripple.

Coral is interesting too, studied only for it's beauty until it's dying now - and close observations and detecting abilities and melding some other data together to see that it's not just a pretty place to spear fish, it's part a system that performs in necessity for all - as a result of all.


Opps. Action enforces hope.

 

[Frans]

Hey Gord,
Are you saying that, universely, across the board, you see more dead trees due to soil disturbance, than you see trees declining/distressed from soil compaction?
Just where do you live? in a monsterous track home development?
No I do not agree with your statement but prehaps you misunderstood the original question...
Frans

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Tribute to Gopher...

He's climbing a tree, cause the foliage is sparse,
And roped in real good, not to fall on his A..R..S..

This old hazard tree, has just got to go,
Attacked by compaction - wouldn't ya know.

No Arborist Site users, will drive by today,
So cutting some corners, may just seem okay.

But he knows that his ethics, need no stab in the back,
So safely he dismantles, the crumbling hatrack.

 

[Gopher]

ode to...

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Gopher

 

[Mchannebique]

Availability

The availability of soil and soil nutrients, we build concrete tombs around our urban trees and expect them to live we cut the roots for sidewalks and expect no windthrow. Yes acid rain and compaction allot of places don't see acid rain, compaction yes true but the amount of growing space for roots and the available water and nutrients is the answer.

 

[the Aerialist]

Busses and Trucks and Cars ~ Oh my...

The number one universal problem with urban trees is vehicular traffic. Trees that are clipped by passing vehicles or outright smashed into. Of course the very presence of the various vehicles and the construction and reconstruction of the roads that carry them as well as the pollution they cause are also important factors.

 

[sgreanbeans]

Simple, people do the most damage. No matter what form it comes in, it comes from us.

 

[imagineero]

I'd say its the environment they are in - completely artificial. Trees in nature rarely grow in isolated monoculture envornoments. They compete, compliment, and cohabitate with other plants and animals above and below, in a complete ecosystem.

A few of the bigger and more noticeable effects of urban trees having so much space, light, water and access to CO2 are that they grow way too fast, and assume unnatural and unsupportable shapes. This is a good thing for tree workers who need work, but trees in nature don't need pruning generally, they grow in a way that they don't require weight reduction on limbs. I've done removals on trees you would guess to be 50~60 years old that were only 25. An inch or more between some of the growth rings! Far too much spread and foliage to ever be able to carry their own weight.

Shaun