A brief look back:
Tuning in to Tree Consulting
The ISA Southern Chapter co hosted over 250 tree consultants at the American Society of Consulting Arborists’ (ASCA) Annual Conference. Leaders in consulting arboriculture gathered November 28-December 1 near Vanderbilt University in Nashville, to share the latest in diagnostics, risk assessment, appraisal, urban planning, and expert witnessing.
The pre-conference workshop kicked off with Nelda Matheny comparing the tree diagnostician to Sherlock Holmes. “Scientific imagining” cracks tough tree cases, but Rule #1 is, “Don’t theorize until you have the data.” We must fit theories to facts, not vice versa. Mike Raupp gave a quick guide to gathering facts on insects, and others demonstrated risk assessment, diseases, disorders, and collecting samples.
The conference kicked off with a talk on the three goals of communication: all parties advance their agendas, learn something, and enhance the relationship. Ultimately, the conversation is the relationship. Next we learned that common law is made in courts, and changes frequently. One Virginia court just adopted the more extreme “Hawaii Rule” on tree nuisance, but all courts may refer to any ruling in any state.
93% of landscape trees are buried deep, reported Christina Wells of Clemson. Prunus develop problems much sooner than Acer, but Dr. Wells noted that up to 70% of buried maples develop girdling roots. A new experiment looks at air tilling, organic matter blended in with fertilizer, and mulch. The individual treatments were compared; condition was best after combined treatments. Bartlett’s Tom Smiley looked at root cutting and stability, and root barriers and sidewalk lifting.
Arborists should visit
www.SUSTAINABLESITES.ORG to press for long-overdue LEED credits for landscaping. Successful projects from Boston’s old harborfront to Louisville’s old main street to Denver’s old airport highlighted innovative integration of arboriculture with town planning. The village green is becoming the Green Village.
Phytophthora may sound scary, but there are ways to fight back. Diagnosis involves scraping the cankers and finding the black line separating living and dead tissue. Beneficial soil microbes outcompete and parasitize and digest Phytophthora. It is inhibited by enzymatic activity in mulch, and trunk-drenched phosphite induces an immune response.
Geoff Kempter, author of the ISA’s Utility Pruning BMP’s, gave an excellent review of the conflict between trees and wires and people. Forestry professor Glenn Haas reviewed the elements of decision-making,
www.decision-analysis.society.informs.org Litigation is nothing to fear. Losing is the only thing to worry about. By using the same kind of systematic process prescribed for tree detectives, and learning with their peers, consulting arborists can fearlessly manage the most challenging trees.
