Tree Risk & Management Flashcards
7 cards from real ISA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Tree Risk & Management flashcards as text
Which structural defect is characterized by a union where bark is trapped between two stems, reducing wood-to-wood contact?
Answer: Included bark
Included bark occurs when bark is embedded in a branch union, creating a weak attachment that is prone to splitting.
What is the primary purpose of a 'static load test' on a tree?
Answer: Apply controlled force to assess structural response and root plate movement
A static load test uses a measured pulling force to evaluate how a tree and its root system respond to mechanical stress.
Lion-tailing (removing inner foliage and branches) increases tree risk because it:
Answer: Concentrates weight at branch tips, increasing end-weight leverage
Lion-tailing shifts foliage to branch ends, creating heavy end-loading that dramatically increases the lever arm stress on branch attachments.
A 'branch collar' should be preserved during pruning primarily because it:
Answer: Contains the vascular cambium needed to form callus and compartmentalize decay
The branch collar contains specialized tissues that produce callus wood and chemical barriers to compartmentalize and limit decay after pruning.
Which of the following fungi is most associated with white rot, breaking down both lignin and cellulose?
Answer: Ganoderma applanatum
Ganoderma applanatum (artist's conk) is a classic white rot fungus that degrades both lignin and cellulose, leaving pale, fibrous wood.
When is a 'limited visual assessment' the appropriate level of tree risk assessment?
Answer: For routine, walk-by evaluations of many trees in a low-consequence setting
A limited visual assessment is a walk-by inspection appropriate for inventorying many trees where consequences of failure are low and defects are not obvious.
Which of the following root defects poses the GREATEST immediate structural risk to a tree?
Answer: Circling roots girdling the main trunk at grade
Girdling roots constrict vascular flow and mechanically weaken the root flare, significantly reducing anchorage and tree stability.