CTSP Risk Assessment 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which environmental condition should prompt a CTSP to increase inspection frequency for high-value trees?
- Mild spring temperatures
- Prolonged drought followed by heavy rainfall (Correct answer)
- Consistent moderate rainfall throughout the season
- Low ambient wind speeds in summer
Correct answer: Prolonged drought followed by heavy rainfall
Prolonged drought weakens root systems, and subsequent heavy rain saturates soil, dramatically increasing failure risk.
Question 2: A dead branch hanging in the canopy of a live tree is commonly called what?
- Epicormic growth
- A widow maker (Correct answer)
- A codominant stem
- A water sprout
Correct answer: A widow maker
A 'widow maker' is a dead or broken branch lodged in the canopy that can fall unpredictably, posing serious injury risk.
Question 3: When documenting a tree risk assessment, which information is LEAST critical to include?
- Date of inspection and inspector credentials
- The tree's commercial nursery purchase price (Correct answer)
- Observed defects and their location
- Recommended mitigation actions and follow-up timeline
Correct answer: The tree's commercial nursery purchase price
A tree's purchase price is irrelevant to its structural risk and is not a component of a standard risk assessment report.
Question 4: A CTSP performs a risk assessment and assigns a 'low' likelihood of failure but 'significant' consequences. What is the appropriate overall risk level?
- Extreme
- Low
- Moderate (Correct answer)
- Negligible
Correct answer: Moderate
The ISA matrix combines low likelihood with significant consequences to yield a moderate overall risk rating.
Question 5: Which of the following is a sign that a tree may have been previously topped, increasing its current risk?
- Presence of a single dominant leader
- Multiple large, weakly attached epicormic sprouts at former cut sites (Correct answer)
- Gradual taper from base to crown tip
- Uniform bark texture throughout the crown
Correct answer: Multiple large, weakly attached epicormic sprouts at former cut sites
Topping causes flush regrowth of weakly attached epicormic sprouts that are prone to failure as they grow large.
Question 6: A CTSP recommends cabling a tree with a codominant stem as a risk mitigation measure. What is the PRIMARY purpose of this intervention?
- To eliminate the need for future inspections
- To limit movement and reduce stress at the weak union during wind and ice loading (Correct answer)
- To encourage the weaker stem to dominate over time
- To prevent insects from entering the canopy
Correct answer: To limit movement and reduce stress at the weak union during wind and ice loading
Supplemental support cables limit the separation of codominant stems under load, reducing the risk of catastrophic splitting.
Question 7: After a major storm event, a CTSP is asked to rapidly assess 50 trees in a municipal park. Which assessment level is most appropriate for this initial survey?
- Level 3 Advanced Assessment for all trees
- Level 1 Walkby Assessment to identify urgent hazards (Correct answer)
- Full soil excavation for each tree
- Resistograph drilling on all trees over 18 inches DBH
Correct answer: Level 1 Walkby Assessment to identify urgent hazards
A Level 1 Walkby Assessment allows rapid screening of many trees to quickly identify the most urgent failure risks after a storm.
CTSP Risk Assessment 5
Which environmental condition should prompt a CTSP to increase inspection frequency for high-value trees?