Ward Peterson - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ward Peterson

Landscape and Urban Planning, 2017

This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire... more This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire; Coleoptera: Buprestide) on municipal forestry budgets. Three distinct phases were evident: an initial time period of 0 to 4 years (little budget change), year 5 to 8 time period (rapid budget increase), and years 9 to 12 (rapid budget decrease) after EAB was confirmed in a state. The 5 to 8 year time period had increased spending as detected through the total forestry budget (p=0.011), total municipal forestry budget (percent forestry budget) as a percentage of the total municipal budget (p<0.001), and per capita spending (p<0.001). A 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa1.58 per capita increase occurred in annual municipal forestry budgets in states in which EAB was confirmed (EAB+) compared to states without a confirmed EAB case (EAB-). This has a 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa280.5 (± 79.9) million annual impact on municipal budgets. The percent forestry budget increased as the time since EAB was confirmed in a state increased. A mean 0.33% (0.03 SE, n=82) percent forestry budget occurred during the initial 0 to 4 years after confirmation of EAB. This exponentially increased from 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=43) in year 5 to 1.17% (0.12 SE, n=38) at the peak in year 8, and rapidly declined back to 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=51) in years 10 to 12 which was a level slightly higher than initial conditions. Federal, state, and local urban forestry managers can use these results to financially plan for the impacts of EAB on municipal forestry budgets.

Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, Mar 1, 2018

Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and par... more Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and partnerships. Through a national census and survey of urban forestry activity in over 660 municipalities in the United States, researchers found two-thirds of all responding communities involve volunteers in tree activities. This increases from half of small communities (2,500 to 4,999 people) to all large communities (one million or more people) involving volunteers. When tabulated for the United States, a mean national estimate of 345,466 (195,754 SEM) people volunteered 1,484,204 (665,460 SEM) hours with municipal tree activities. This equates to 714 (320 SEM) full-time equivalent (2,080 hour-base year) positions. Overall, volunteers completed nearly 5% of municipal tree care activities. Nearly 80% of the municipalities train their volunteers. Tree planting (85% of communities) was the most common activity, followed by tree watering (40%), awareness/education programs (39%), tree pruning (28%), and fundraising (20%). Findings were contrasted with U.S. census population groups to disaggregate if volunteerism varied by community size. Volunteers were more commonly involved in communities with a greater urban-forestry capacity derived from a sustainability index score. Six attributes of municipal forestry program had either positive (+) or negative (-) effect on volunteer participation in urban forestry activities. These included adequate budget (-), per capita spending (-), tree board (+), outreach (+), strategic plan (+), and total employment (+).

Arboricultural Journal, Sep 20, 2016

Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. ... more Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. This has been prompted by publications such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for tree risk assessment (ANSI A300 Part 9-Tree Risk Assessment) and the accompanying International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Risk Assessment Best Management Practices, as well as the subsequent development of the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. How this increase in awareness has broadly translated into common practice in communities, is not well understood. This paper reports findings from a recent survey of urban forest operations as they directly pertain to tree risk assessment. The survey consisted of a 109-question longform questionnaire that was sent to 1727 communities, followed up by a truncated version to non-responding communities. Six hundred and sixty-seven (38.6%) communities responded to the survey-513 to the full survey and 154 to the truncated version. Communities that reported having a certified arborist on staff (p-value = .010), a strategic plan (p-value = .002), an updated inventory (p-value < .001), collecting risk data (p-value = .004), and having a past claim for damage or injury (p-value < .001) were more likely to regularly conduct tree risk management activities.

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry

Urban trees are both an asset and a cost to municipalities. Past research has focused largely on ... more Urban trees are both an asset and a cost to municipalities. Past research has focused largely on the asset—quantifying and valuing the social, economic, and environmental benefits provided by trees in urban areas. Relatively fewer studies have focused on defining the appropriate level of tree care (costs or inputs) for efficiently maintaining tree health and structural integrity, and potential resulting liabilities. On 18–20 March 2015, the International Society of Arboriculture assembled a panel of research and industry experts for a research symposium and summit titled, The Costs of Not Maintaining Trees. In the weeks leading up to the summit, the Delphi technique was initiated to help build consensus on key research questions related to the economics of trees and their care. After three iterations of questions and discussion, the panel identified 14 research topics that were deemed “very important” or “important” by at least 12 of the 14 expert panelists (80% being a commonly use...

Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer ca... more Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer can significantly improve leaf color of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) symptomatic of maple decline. Manganese treatments were less often effective. The nutrient level in chlorotic leaves was lower than in healthy leaves for all of the elements tested exept sodium and aluminum. The high level of sodium found in chlorotic leaves may implicate salt (sodium chloride) in maple decline. Maple decline, also known as maple dieback and maple blight, is more a description of symptoms than a specific malady. These symptoms include chlorotic and scorched leaves that are often sparse and smaller than normal, premature fall coloration and leaf drop, and twig and branch dieback initially involving the upper crown. Several factors have been shown to trigger or contribute to maple decline, and others have been suggested. Hepting (1971) categorizes five different declines, two of which are involved in the g...

Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer ca... more Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer can significantly improve leaf color of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) symptomatic of maple decline. Manganese treatments were less often effective. The nutrient level in chlorotic leaves was lower than in healthy leaves for all of the elements tested exept sodium and aluminum. The high level of sodium found in chlorotic leaves may implicate salt (sodium chloride) in maple decline. Maple decline, also known as maple dieback and maple blight, is more a description of symptoms than a specific malady. These symptoms include chlorotic and scorched leaves that are often sparse and smaller than normal, premature fall coloration and leaf drop, and twig and branch dieback initially involving the upper crown. Several factors have been shown to trigger or contribute to maple decline, and others have been suggested. Hepting (1971) categorizes five different declines, two of which are involved in the g...

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 2014

The International Society of Arboriculture, in conjunction with The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illi... more The International Society of Arboriculture, in conjunction with The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois, U.S.), convened Tree Biomechanics Summit in September 2010 – bringing together a panel of internationally-recognized experts in the fields of tree biology, tree structure, structural engineering, computer modeling, and arboriculture. Following two days of public research talks on the state of tree biomechanics research, presenters were invited to attend a researcher summit to discuss persisting research gaps and prioritize research needs. Over the course of the event, summit attendees identified five priority research areas: 1) improving efforts to assess mechanical failure potential in trees; 2) modeling the impact of mechanical loading on trees; 3) understanding the mechanisms and modes of tree failure; 4) understanding tree growth response to mechanical loads; and 5) increasing the effectiveness of tree risk mitigation practices. Beyond research priorities, summit participants d...

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2020

Abstract Integrating tree species diversity into urban forest management can help create resilien... more Abstract Integrating tree species diversity into urban forest management can help create resilient tree populations. In this study, the abundance of trees within families, genera, and species levels was determined through a system developed to evaluate the diversity of urban street trees at different scales. Municipal foresters were asked to report the six street tree species most commonly used in urban forests as an assessment of tree diversity. Through the use of this question in a series of urban forest management surveys, we were able to describe the diversity of urban street tree species in the 48 continental United States across time (1974 to 2014) and space (national, regional, and local levels). Throughout the United States the top six street tree species were distributed in 115 species, 71 genera, and 32 families. At the national scale, no one tree species or family dominated, but the Acer genus was 21.2% (0.8 standard error, or SE). At the regional level, 16.5% (3.3 SE) of all reported street trees were Acer platanoides in the Northeast region, and 8.1% (1.1 SE) of the South region were Quercus virginiana. At the local level, however, a lack of tree diversity becomes apparent. In any community, the top six reported tree species account for 61.5% (0.4 SE) of the total street tree population and the most common tree accounts for 23.7% (1.0 SE) of the total. When assessed over a 40-year period, changes in tree species and genera in each region were relatively minor. Among them, the Mideast and Northeast regions continued to be dominated by Acer and the South region maintained its preference for Quercus. This study provides a method to assess street tree populations when using surveys to quantify municipal forestry programs at state and national levels.

Landscape and Urban Planning, 2017

This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire... more This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire; Coleoptera: Buprestide) on municipal forestry budgets. Three distinct phases were evident: an initial time period of 0 to 4 years (little budget change), year 5 to 8 time period (rapid budget increase), and years 9 to 12 (rapid budget decrease) after EAB was confirmed in a state. The 5 to 8 year time period had increased spending as detected through the total forestry budget (p=0.011), total municipal forestry budget (percent forestry budget) as a percentage of the total municipal budget (p<0.001), and per capita spending (p<0.001). A 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa1.58 per capita increase occurred in annual municipal forestry budgets in states in which EAB was confirmed (EAB+) compared to states without a confirmed EAB case (EAB-). This has a 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa280.5 (± 79.9) million annual impact on municipal budgets. The percent forestry budget increased as the time since EAB was confirmed in a state increased. A mean 0.33% (0.03 SE, n=82) percent forestry budget occurred during the initial 0 to 4 years after confirmation of EAB. This exponentially increased from 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=43) in year 5 to 1.17% (0.12 SE, n=38) at the peak in year 8, and rapidly declined back to 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=51) in years 10 to 12 which was a level slightly higher than initial conditions. Federal, state, and local urban forestry managers can use these results to financially plan for the impacts of EAB on municipal forestry budgets.

Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer ca... more Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer can significantly im- prove leaf color of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) symp- tomatic of maple decline. Manganese treatments were less often effective. The nutrient level in chlorotic leaves was lower than in healthy leaves for all of the elements tested exept sodium and aluminum. The high level

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 2018

Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and par... more Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and partnerships. Through a national census and survey of urban forestry activity in over 660 municipalities in the United States, researchers found two-thirds of all responding communities involve volunteers in tree activities. This increases from half of small communities (2,500 to 4,999 people) to all large communities (one million or more people) involving volunteers. When tabulated for the United States, a mean national estimate of 345,466 (195,754 SEM) people volunteered 1,484,204 (665,460 SEM) hours with municipal tree activities. This equates to 714 (320 SEM) full-time equivalent (2,080 hour-base year) positions. Overall, volunteers completed nearly 5% of municipal tree care activities. Nearly 80% of the municipalities train their volunteers. Tree planting (85% of communities) was the most common activity, followed by tree watering (40%), awareness/education programs (39%), tree pruning...

Arboricultural Journal, 2016

Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. ... more Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. This has been prompted by publications such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for tree risk assessment (ANSI A300 Part 9-Tree Risk Assessment) and the accompanying International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Risk Assessment Best Management Practices, as well as the subsequent development of the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. How this increase in awareness has broadly translated into common practice in communities, is not well understood. This paper reports findings from a recent survey of urban forest operations as they directly pertain to tree risk assessment. The survey consisted of a 109-question longform questionnaire that was sent to 1727 communities, followed up by a truncated version to non-responding communities. Six hundred and sixty-seven (38.6%) communities responded to the survey-513 to the full survey and 154 to the truncated version. Communities that reported having a certified arborist on staff (p-value = .010), a strategic plan (p-value = .002), an updated inventory (p-value < .001), collecting risk data (p-value = .004), and having a past claim for damage or injury (p-value < .001) were more likely to regularly conduct tree risk management activities.

Landscape and Urban Planning, 2017

This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire... more This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire; Coleoptera: Buprestide) on municipal forestry budgets. Three distinct phases were evident: an initial time period of 0 to 4 years (little budget change), year 5 to 8 time period (rapid budget increase), and years 9 to 12 (rapid budget decrease) after EAB was confirmed in a state. The 5 to 8 year time period had increased spending as detected through the total forestry budget (p=0.011), total municipal forestry budget (percent forestry budget) as a percentage of the total municipal budget (p<0.001), and per capita spending (p<0.001). A 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa1.58 per capita increase occurred in annual municipal forestry budgets in states in which EAB was confirmed (EAB+) compared to states without a confirmed EAB case (EAB-). This has a 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa280.5 (± 79.9) million annual impact on municipal budgets. The percent forestry budget increased as the time since EAB was confirmed in a state increased. A mean 0.33% (0.03 SE, n=82) percent forestry budget occurred during the initial 0 to 4 years after confirmation of EAB. This exponentially increased from 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=43) in year 5 to 1.17% (0.12 SE, n=38) at the peak in year 8, and rapidly declined back to 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=51) in years 10 to 12 which was a level slightly higher than initial conditions. Federal, state, and local urban forestry managers can use these results to financially plan for the impacts of EAB on municipal forestry budgets.

Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, Mar 1, 2018

Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and par... more Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and partnerships. Through a national census and survey of urban forestry activity in over 660 municipalities in the United States, researchers found two-thirds of all responding communities involve volunteers in tree activities. This increases from half of small communities (2,500 to 4,999 people) to all large communities (one million or more people) involving volunteers. When tabulated for the United States, a mean national estimate of 345,466 (195,754 SEM) people volunteered 1,484,204 (665,460 SEM) hours with municipal tree activities. This equates to 714 (320 SEM) full-time equivalent (2,080 hour-base year) positions. Overall, volunteers completed nearly 5% of municipal tree care activities. Nearly 80% of the municipalities train their volunteers. Tree planting (85% of communities) was the most common activity, followed by tree watering (40%), awareness/education programs (39%), tree pruning (28%), and fundraising (20%). Findings were contrasted with U.S. census population groups to disaggregate if volunteerism varied by community size. Volunteers were more commonly involved in communities with a greater urban-forestry capacity derived from a sustainability index score. Six attributes of municipal forestry program had either positive (+) or negative (-) effect on volunteer participation in urban forestry activities. These included adequate budget (-), per capita spending (-), tree board (+), outreach (+), strategic plan (+), and total employment (+).

Arboricultural Journal, Sep 20, 2016

Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. ... more Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. This has been prompted by publications such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for tree risk assessment (ANSI A300 Part 9-Tree Risk Assessment) and the accompanying International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Risk Assessment Best Management Practices, as well as the subsequent development of the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. How this increase in awareness has broadly translated into common practice in communities, is not well understood. This paper reports findings from a recent survey of urban forest operations as they directly pertain to tree risk assessment. The survey consisted of a 109-question longform questionnaire that was sent to 1727 communities, followed up by a truncated version to non-responding communities. Six hundred and sixty-seven (38.6%) communities responded to the survey-513 to the full survey and 154 to the truncated version. Communities that reported having a certified arborist on staff (p-value = .010), a strategic plan (p-value = .002), an updated inventory (p-value < .001), collecting risk data (p-value = .004), and having a past claim for damage or injury (p-value < .001) were more likely to regularly conduct tree risk management activities.

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry

Urban trees are both an asset and a cost to municipalities. Past research has focused largely on ... more Urban trees are both an asset and a cost to municipalities. Past research has focused largely on the asset—quantifying and valuing the social, economic, and environmental benefits provided by trees in urban areas. Relatively fewer studies have focused on defining the appropriate level of tree care (costs or inputs) for efficiently maintaining tree health and structural integrity, and potential resulting liabilities. On 18–20 March 2015, the International Society of Arboriculture assembled a panel of research and industry experts for a research symposium and summit titled, The Costs of Not Maintaining Trees. In the weeks leading up to the summit, the Delphi technique was initiated to help build consensus on key research questions related to the economics of trees and their care. After three iterations of questions and discussion, the panel identified 14 research topics that were deemed “very important” or “important” by at least 12 of the 14 expert panelists (80% being a commonly use...

Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer ca... more Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer can significantly improve leaf color of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) symptomatic of maple decline. Manganese treatments were less often effective. The nutrient level in chlorotic leaves was lower than in healthy leaves for all of the elements tested exept sodium and aluminum. The high level of sodium found in chlorotic leaves may implicate salt (sodium chloride) in maple decline. Maple decline, also known as maple dieback and maple blight, is more a description of symptoms than a specific malady. These symptoms include chlorotic and scorched leaves that are often sparse and smaller than normal, premature fall coloration and leaf drop, and twig and branch dieback initially involving the upper crown. Several factors have been shown to trigger or contribute to maple decline, and others have been suggested. Hepting (1971) categorizes five different declines, two of which are involved in the g...

Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer ca... more Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer can significantly improve leaf color of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) symptomatic of maple decline. Manganese treatments were less often effective. The nutrient level in chlorotic leaves was lower than in healthy leaves for all of the elements tested exept sodium and aluminum. The high level of sodium found in chlorotic leaves may implicate salt (sodium chloride) in maple decline. Maple decline, also known as maple dieback and maple blight, is more a description of symptoms than a specific malady. These symptoms include chlorotic and scorched leaves that are often sparse and smaller than normal, premature fall coloration and leaf drop, and twig and branch dieback initially involving the upper crown. Several factors have been shown to trigger or contribute to maple decline, and others have been suggested. Hepting (1971) categorizes five different declines, two of which are involved in the g...

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 2014

The International Society of Arboriculture, in conjunction with The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illi... more The International Society of Arboriculture, in conjunction with The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois, U.S.), convened Tree Biomechanics Summit in September 2010 – bringing together a panel of internationally-recognized experts in the fields of tree biology, tree structure, structural engineering, computer modeling, and arboriculture. Following two days of public research talks on the state of tree biomechanics research, presenters were invited to attend a researcher summit to discuss persisting research gaps and prioritize research needs. Over the course of the event, summit attendees identified five priority research areas: 1) improving efforts to assess mechanical failure potential in trees; 2) modeling the impact of mechanical loading on trees; 3) understanding the mechanisms and modes of tree failure; 4) understanding tree growth response to mechanical loads; and 5) increasing the effectiveness of tree risk mitigation practices. Beyond research priorities, summit participants d...

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2020

Abstract Integrating tree species diversity into urban forest management can help create resilien... more Abstract Integrating tree species diversity into urban forest management can help create resilient tree populations. In this study, the abundance of trees within families, genera, and species levels was determined through a system developed to evaluate the diversity of urban street trees at different scales. Municipal foresters were asked to report the six street tree species most commonly used in urban forests as an assessment of tree diversity. Through the use of this question in a series of urban forest management surveys, we were able to describe the diversity of urban street tree species in the 48 continental United States across time (1974 to 2014) and space (national, regional, and local levels). Throughout the United States the top six street tree species were distributed in 115 species, 71 genera, and 32 families. At the national scale, no one tree species or family dominated, but the Acer genus was 21.2% (0.8 standard error, or SE). At the regional level, 16.5% (3.3 SE) of all reported street trees were Acer platanoides in the Northeast region, and 8.1% (1.1 SE) of the South region were Quercus virginiana. At the local level, however, a lack of tree diversity becomes apparent. In any community, the top six reported tree species account for 61.5% (0.4 SE) of the total street tree population and the most common tree accounts for 23.7% (1.0 SE) of the total. When assessed over a 40-year period, changes in tree species and genera in each region were relatively minor. Among them, the Mideast and Northeast regions continued to be dominated by Acer and the South region maintained its preference for Quercus. This study provides a method to assess street tree populations when using surveys to quantify municipal forestry programs at state and national levels.

Landscape and Urban Planning, 2017

This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire... more This study examines the financial impact of emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Farimaire; Coleoptera: Buprestide) on municipal forestry budgets. Three distinct phases were evident: an initial time period of 0 to 4 years (little budget change), year 5 to 8 time period (rapid budget increase), and years 9 to 12 (rapid budget decrease) after EAB was confirmed in a state. The 5 to 8 year time period had increased spending as detected through the total forestry budget (p=0.011), total municipal forestry budget (percent forestry budget) as a percentage of the total municipal budget (p<0.001), and per capita spending (p<0.001). A 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa1.58 per capita increase occurred in annual municipal forestry budgets in states in which EAB was confirmed (EAB+) compared to states without a confirmed EAB case (EAB-). This has a 1.58percapitaincreaseoccurredinannualmunicipalforestrybudgetsinstatesinwhichEABwasconfirmed(EAB+)comparedtostateswithoutaconfirmedEABcase(EAB−).Thishasa280.5 (± 79.9) million annual impact on municipal budgets. The percent forestry budget increased as the time since EAB was confirmed in a state increased. A mean 0.33% (0.03 SE, n=82) percent forestry budget occurred during the initial 0 to 4 years after confirmation of EAB. This exponentially increased from 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=43) in year 5 to 1.17% (0.12 SE, n=38) at the peak in year 8, and rapidly declined back to 0.47% (0.05 SE, n=51) in years 10 to 12 which was a level slightly higher than initial conditions. Federal, state, and local urban forestry managers can use these results to financially plan for the impacts of EAB on municipal forestry budgets.

Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer ca... more Preliminary and ongoing research have shown that soil treatments with high nitrogen fertilizer can significantly im- prove leaf color of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) symp- tomatic of maple decline. Manganese treatments were less often effective. The nutrient level in chlorotic leaves was lower than in healthy leaves for all of the elements tested exept sodium and aluminum. The high level

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 2018

Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and par... more Communities cultivate citizen support of municipal forestry operations through volunteers and partnerships. Through a national census and survey of urban forestry activity in over 660 municipalities in the United States, researchers found two-thirds of all responding communities involve volunteers in tree activities. This increases from half of small communities (2,500 to 4,999 people) to all large communities (one million or more people) involving volunteers. When tabulated for the United States, a mean national estimate of 345,466 (195,754 SEM) people volunteered 1,484,204 (665,460 SEM) hours with municipal tree activities. This equates to 714 (320 SEM) full-time equivalent (2,080 hour-base year) positions. Overall, volunteers completed nearly 5% of municipal tree care activities. Nearly 80% of the municipalities train their volunteers. Tree planting (85% of communities) was the most common activity, followed by tree watering (40%), awareness/education programs (39%), tree pruning...

Arboricultural Journal, 2016

Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. ... more Awareness of tree risk assessment and management has risen in the United States in recent years. This has been prompted by publications such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for tree risk assessment (ANSI A300 Part 9-Tree Risk Assessment) and the accompanying International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Risk Assessment Best Management Practices, as well as the subsequent development of the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. How this increase in awareness has broadly translated into common practice in communities, is not well understood. This paper reports findings from a recent survey of urban forest operations as they directly pertain to tree risk assessment. The survey consisted of a 109-question longform questionnaire that was sent to 1727 communities, followed up by a truncated version to non-responding communities. Six hundred and sixty-seven (38.6%) communities responded to the survey-513 to the full survey and 154 to the truncated version. Communities that reported having a certified arborist on staff (p-value = .010), a strategic plan (p-value = .002), an updated inventory (p-value < .001), collecting risk data (p-value = .004), and having a past claim for damage or injury (p-value < .001) were more likely to regularly conduct tree risk management activities.