Module 6.) Tree inspection and Assessment Flashcards
Branch arising from a stem or parent branch and having no connection to apical meristems
Adventitious Branch
Roots arising from a roots or stems and having no connection to apical meristems
Adventitious Root
Leans characterized by the top of the tree bending over more than the lower trunk, creating a curve
Bow
Swelling on branches, trunks, or root flares; often caused by new tissue formed as a response to movement and that reinforces the wood structure at the weak area.
Bulge
Localized diseased area on stems, roots, and branches. Often shrunken and discolored
Canker
Forked branches nearly the same size in diameter, arising from a common junction and lacking normal branch union.
Codominant Stem
Fracture caused by compressive stress.
Compression crack
Tree lean characterized by a leaning lower trunk amd a top that is more upright as result of self-correction; sweep.
Corrected Lean
Separation in wood fibers; narrow breaks or fissures in stems or branches. if severe, may result in tree or branch failure
Crack
An imperfection, weakness, or lack of something necessary. in trees, defects are injures, growth patterns, decay or other conditions that reduce the tree’s structural strength.
Defect
Frost crack; vertical split in the wood of a tree, often near the base of the bole, caused by internal stresses and low temperatures.
Freeze-Thaw Crack
Vertical split in the wood of the tree, often near the base of the bole, caused by internal stresses and low temperatures.
Frost Cracks
Root that encircles all or part of the tree trunk or the tree’s other roots, constricting the vascular tissue and inhibiting secondary growth and the movement of water and photosynthates.
Girdling Root
Bark that becomes embedded in the crotch (union) between branch and truck or between codominant stems. causes a weak structure.
Included Bark
Predominant angle of the trunk from vertical.
Lean
The ratio of crown length to total tree height.
Live Crown Ratio
Seeping or exudation from a tree cavity or other opening.
Oozing
Branch that extends outside the normal crown area
Overextended Branch
Longitudinal bulge of response wood growth.
Rib
line formed where two edges of bark meet at a crack or wound.
Seam
A crack at the neutral plane between tension and compression stresses
Shear Plane Crack
Sudden, unanticipated failure of a tree branch with little or no discernible defects; often associated with long, horizontal branches and warm temperatures.
Sudden Branch Drop
Corrected tree lean characterized by a leaning lower trunk and a top that has grown back towards vertical.
Sweep
Change in diameter over the length of trunks, branches, and roots.
Taper
Time period for which an assessment is defined.
Time Frame
The structural form and shape of a tree.
Tree architecture
Method of assessing the structural integrity of trees using external symptoms of mechanical stress ( such as bulges, reactive growth, etc) and defects (cracks, cavities, etc.).
Visual Assessment
T or F - A possible likelihood of failure is when failure may be expected in extreme weather conditions, but is unlikely during normal weather conditions when the specified time frame.
True
T or F - Even if there is no cracking or oozing, ridges will probably affect the likelihood of failure.
False
T or F - Cankers occur when stems or branches are torsionally stressed
False
When assessing decay, it is important to consider the extent of decay, its structural implication’s, and the amount of ______ ________
Response Growth.
Flat areas at the trunk flare may indicate missing or girdling _____, or obstructions such as rocks or underground infrastructure.
Roots
Lager-than-normal root flare or fused roots at the base of a tree may indicate the presence of _____ _____
Basal Decay or Root Decay
All other conditions being equal, a taller tree that has the same trunk diameter as a shorter tree has _____ stress in the lower trunk, due to the longer ____ _____
Higher; Lever Arm
A low ____ ______ ______ can be a condition of concern, especially if the tree originally developed in forest condition and was recently exposed to higher wind conditions.
Live Crown Ratio
When the size of a branch is less than one-half the diameter of the parent stem
A.) Included bark is likely to make the junction weak.
B.) The branch union is likely to be strong, if it contains no defects.
C.) The parent stem should be subordinated to encourage branch growth.
D.) The branch may already be in initial stages of failure.
B.
In general, Branch attachments are strongest when the parent branch is at least twice the diameter of the subordinate branch and there is adequate wood to securely hold the branch in place
Adventitious Branches tend to be weaker than other branches because.
A.) They have a U-shaped juncture.
B.) they typically contain included bark.
C.) they have minimal holding wood.
D.) All of the above.
C.
Strong branch attachments form when branch and trunk wood develop together over time. Adventitious branches are weaker because less wood has formed to hold the branch in place compared with a normal branch of the same diameter.
When investigating a cavity, it is important to determine.
A.) the size and extent of the cavity
B.) the location of the cavity within the cross section
c.) whether response growth is outpacing decay progression.
D.) All of the above.
D.
Not all cavities are a reson to condemn a tree. it is important to note that the extent of response growth, the size and location of the cavity, and the vigor of the tree. if the new wood development outpaces decay progression, the tree may become stronger over time.
Longitudinal branch cracks most commonly occur on horizontal branches when branches.
A.) are codominant and nearly equal in size
B.) Contain included bark within the branch union.
C.) are overloaded by wind, rain, freezing rain, or snow
D.) Have a sharp angle of attachment at branch union
C.
Longitudinal branch cracks of shear place cracks occurs when load is increased on the end of the lever arm. loading may be the result of wind, rain, freezing rain, or snow.
Transverse cracks indicate that.
A.) excessive tension or compression has occurred
B.) The fibers in the wood have pulled apart or buckled.
C.) Branch failure may be probable or imminent
D.) All of the above.
D.
Many cracks can be attributed to excessive tension or compression, causing the fibers in the tree or tree part to collapse. Transverse cracks typically create significant structural weaknesses, and are not usually seen during risk assessments, because they often precede imminent failure.
Which of the following is a visual indicator of compensation of root/soil defects? A.) Fungal fruiting structures B.) Stem girdling roots C.) wide root flare. D.) excessive soil moisture
C.
Larger-than-normal flare at the base of the tree may indicate that the root decay is present. This condition is a form of response growth that may indicate the presence of defects, but it also adds strength to resist bending and aid in stability
When observing and analyzing defects in a tree to categorize likelihood of failure, it is important to consider that.
A.) Multiple conditions could be present.
B.) target occupancy rates can vary during daytime and nighttime hours
C.) Consequences of failure might not be the same in all seasons
D.) All of the above.
A.
When determining the likelihood of failure, consider only conditions that affect failure. Conditions that affect likelihood of impact and consequences of failure are reflected separately in the assessment.
