Both living and dead trees form the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and act as a catalyst for both above and below ground biodiversity (LOFROTH 1998), but both living and dying trees with structural defects present a difficult set of challenges in the urban environment. If left unchecked, and not removed before failure, personal injury, property damage or worse may ensue. It necessary follows that evaluating a trees structure and predicting the likelihood of failure is a large focal point in the Arboricultural industry. This is often difficult in the urban environment. Local councils, who often are the main tree custodians in any given area, often have limited time and resources to manage their tree population. Within large tree populations most tree assessments for health and structure can be achieved visually (MATTHECK 2007). But for some large mature specimens, internal decay and structural disfunction is not visible, nor translated into poor canopy condition. For these situations some more elaborate diagnostic equipment may be used which can identify internal decay accurately. Different diagnostic equipment have varying strengths and weaknesses but can be of great assistance to tree care professionals.We will look at some of these diagnostic tools now.
Managing Tree Risk 101 